Need to stop 'treating' myself with food

[AnyDream]

Oh yeah I hear you loud and clear. And I need to lose a lot of weight too.

I think it has to do with the satiety centre in the brain. If you're not getting enough sleep, sex, meaningful interpersonal contact, whatever, then it creates a gnawing hole in your biochemistry. Food -esp things like sugar & chocolate & alcohol - actually press that biochemical button and give you a feeling of fulfillment. It's chemical. AH I know how sad that sounds...I feel fulfilled by my chocolate. But that's really what's happening. So it's helpful to think in these terms and work out what else you could be using to press that biochemical button - more sleep? Exercise in the sunshine? Sex? Time doing a hobby? Apparently meditation practice can help with this, and this is the angle I'm trying to work on at the moment. I know i'm yearning for something meaningful in my life - no amount of chocolate is ever going to fill that void.

[Sterla]

That's really interesting Marydean, thanks . I could definitely do with more of those things you stated, lol.

[Mak]

You are (both) not on your own!!! MD has some great advice there - I definitely eat to fill a void, mostly atm to lack of sleep and some family conflict. I find that as part of the void filling I really do not think about what I am eating AT ALL. So awareness of what I am doing (simply eating slowly and not whilst doing anything else) and why is a really big one for me. Really hard when stressed and tired too. I am trying to treat myself with other stuff - so time on BB, a magazine, a long term goal acheived (so I recently got an eyelash tint). It is really important to be sensible about things and to be kind to yourself whilst you are in the process of change, so not throwing it all away if you have a bad day etc. Good luck - you can do it.

[Astrid]

I am the same. Had a great day yesterday with good food and some physical activity. Once the kids were asleep I just wanted to eat something sweet. I sat there flicking through a Nigella cookbook looking for some inspiration for something to quickly whip up. Think I need to go back to having a block of dark choc lindt in the house, that way I can just have a square and it just takes the edge off wanting something really bad.

[sloane]

i am also the same! bad day? better have something tasty to make me feel better. something good happen? oooh...better have a nice meal/treat to celebrate the time i've best been able to conquer the emotional eating is when i was training to do a fun run. sounds kinda silly now but if i didn't eat well during the day then i felt awful going for a run after work & just had no energy for it. it got me to a place where i really viewed food as fuel for my body & i found myself eating what i needed to get me through the day & the run. so i ended up eating really well. i noticed that when i was going to see a personal trainer that it had the same affect & that was exactly the same way he viewed food - not as a treat/something yummy to make you feel better etc but he ate exactly what his body needed.

so...i think for me the secret is probably exercising because it gets me in a better headspace for eating but now i just need to get off my bum & actually do something!

[Jas]

Abso-freakin-lutely get what u r tlking about, I have been on ww's for 6weeks tomorrow and I have changed the foods I eat after dark and during nap times and also I have actually cut down massively what I eat at those times, cutting down hasn't been something I tried to do it just has happened as I've eaten better more filling foods during the rest of the say and breaking that habit I think I'm just no longer addicTed to the crap.

Some great snacks I have found are

those little packs of popcorn, you know the ones ppl buy for their kids sometimes? They are 1.5ww's points per pack and just like movie popcorn

Forme yoghurts 1pt

jarrah extreme choc sachets (just discoverd this week) YUM! I think they are 1pt

Low fat custard with sliced banana (1pt for half cup custard and 1.5pts for medium banana) often dh and I have half a banana each

Fruche - 2pts i think (havent had for a while)

rice crackers and salsa (10rice crackers are 1pt and salsa is 0pts)

You can make the yummiest nachos with mountain bread (just as good as normal chip nachos and a million times less fat etc) I think all up with chips, reduced-fat cheese, weight watcher's sour cream and some shallots its about 3.5pts

watermelon 300g for 1pt

Those little pavlova nests with some yogurt and banana or whatever you want to put with them (the nest are actually only 0.5pts each!

Hope these are some good suggestions for you and believe me I felt like i could never stop eating all the junk at night but just so easily by adjusting all of my diet I have just had the night time eating fall into place. I really recommend ww's I think its great for mums and really really is a long term forever sustainable way of eating. I have really found that I haven't cut down food and realised I was making some really really bad snack choices and thinking about those a bit more and going for better, even more enjoyable choices has made all the difference.

[*LittleMissSummer*]

I havent read all the replies but what i have done recently to try and eat better during pregnancy is when i do my shopping i avoid the junk food aisles and i stock up on oranges (loving valencia ones right now) apples (jonagold mmmm) grapes, bananas, watermelon and rockmelon. And when im feeling peckish i either grab an apple or an orange. Or what i did the other day was made this huge fruit salad and it had me tied over from 1pm to dinner time. Replace all the foods you usually sit down in front of the telly with some nuts or fruit. If im wanting something sweet an orange or apple fixes that for me.

HTH

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I think it has to do with the satiety centre in the brain. If you're not getting enough sleep, sex, meaningful interpersonal contact, whatever, then it creates a gnawing hole in your biochemistry. Food -esp things like sugar & chocolate & alcohol - actually press that biochemical button and give you a feeling of fulfillment. It's chemical. AH I know how sad that sounds...I feel fulfilled by my chocolate. But that's really what's happening. So it's helpful to think in these terms and work out what else you could be using to press that biochemical button - more sleep? Exercise in the sunshine? Sex? Time doing a hobby? Apparently meditation practice can help with this, and this is the angle I'm trying to work on at the moment. I know i'm yearning for something meaningful in my life - no amount of chocolate is ever going to fill that void.

That is awesome explanation!! When I feel more fulfilled I definitely eat less junk. Now I am unhappy with new work, not really anyone to talk to and wanting junk more and more often. I always wonder how I can know what I need to do and want it so badly but the compulsion for junk always overrides.

PS. I am on the 40kg to lose ship as well.

[feeb]

I hear you as soon as DS1 goes to sleep in arvo I eat chips or choc or biscuits as a treat!!! At night when he goes to bed it is choc, ice cream, choc pudding etc!!!!!

Marydean such an awesome explanation and so very true!!

I need to loose wg but too tired to exercise!!!!! so what do I do sit on couch eating junk watching tv and surfing BB!!! LOL hmm not good

[Arimeh]

Yeah I got about 40 to lose too *sigh*

Sterla - every time we get together we should go for a walk - cos at least it gets me out of the house away from biscuits!!!

I have to do something - I look and feel absolutely disgusting..

[Sterla]

I'm in Mel You got a park out your way? We could walk there, take the kids?