Food for Thought

Source for entire article: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=55 Coping with Emotional Eating Rather than munching, it's better to develop new skills for dealing with boredom, self-esteem issues and stress. Try to pinpoint the major reasons for your stress or unpleasant emotions, and see how you can turn the tide. Here are a few suggestions to combat your emotions: * Get your trigger foods out of the house, get your crutch foods out of arms' reach * Go for a walk or jog. Physical activity relieves stress. * Do deep breathing and relaxation exercises * Keep a reminder of your goal handy * Talk to a friend * Visit and post on the support message boards * Surround yourself with positive re-enforcers, like pictures and people * Keep a journal that includes your best personal accomplishments * Track your eating patterns, including when and why you pick up food. If you still seem to come back to food when your emotions get the best of you, you can at least be prepared. Eating large amounts of snacks is not a good thing. But if you eat low calorie foods, it's not so bad. So stock the fridge with healthy alternatives, foods that have good nutritious value, are smaller in size, and will not pack on too many calories. Here are a few food suggestions to keep within arms' reach: * Apple or orange slices * Carrot sticks * Banana * Broccoli * Whole wheat toast * Bran muffin * Fruit smoothie * Applesauce Of course, some of the above foods just do not apply to us... My question... what foods do you keep "at hand" to keep the damage at a minimum, when the beast within just gets the upper hand? Towanda

Hey T Thank you for article! I still have before picture to hang up on my refrig to remind me to eat right foods when I open my refrig. WINK! You gave an excellent advices on this CT Board! Hugs Kathy K

Good question! I have a variety of healthy and junky choices that confront me every day - I feel guilty completely getting rid of the junky options because my son and husband like them - so I buy cookies that I don't like so it's not a problem not to eat them! I try to reach for water first because a lot of times hunger isn't really hunger - it's thirst. I always keep bottled water in the frig and lately I moved it right up to the top shelf so it's the first thing you see when open it up - hopefully the top shelf strategy will help my new water mantra! I'm surprised to see a bran muffin the list above - I never equate muffins to healthy food (I can't eat them anymore anyway - mute point)...........

Very good point on the water! Muffins.. Well, as I said, some of the choices are not for us. That said, TJ's has a bran muffin that is only 80 calories and only 2 gm sugar, 1.5 gm fat AND... 13 gm fiber! Trader Joe's Apple Cranberry Bran Muffins (green and maroon label) They look like hockey pucks, but are very good. T.

Hi T - Great article and as usual a great post. You are always there with great advice!! Thanks for posting!! Hugs, Nancy

It's really not me... it's my other personality! T.

Thanks for your post even if it is your other personality. This is my first time in the CT Forum and its nice to be with neighbors... Blessings...Caryn

WELCOME! We are a great group of folks if I don't say so myself. Stick around. You will feel supported, get lots of good info, maybe a laugh or two. p.s. I grew up in Norwalk back in the 50's. Towanda

Good day Ms Towanda!!! surprise...just got back on OH today, missed you. I have just recently gone back to the gym. Now, when I want to eat something I think...is it worth losing all the momentum of this morning? I work my butt off at the gym (literally I hope) and some chips just ain't worth how they're going to make me feel. This operation is just a TOOL, I really have to remember that!