A solution for emotional eaters
I just read about a great tip for emotional eaters (not that I know anything about that) (I'm just saying), and I thought I would share. Ready? Take notes!
The article said you should keep three healthy food items around at all times - for example, yogurt, carrot sticks, and an apple - and when you crave something unhealthy, you should tell yourself that you have to eat those three healthy items first. It said that 9 out of 10 times you'll fill up on the healthy items and you won't want the unhealthy item anymore (or, at least, won't overindulge). If you still want the unhealthy item after eating the three healthy ones, you should give yourself permission to eat the unhealthy item. (Again, with the hopes that you will now not overindulge.)
I think I'm going to try this! I had always heard that drinking a big glass of water and waiting 5-10 minutes before allowing yourself to give in to the unhealthy food works. I also had heard that going for a 10-minute walk when you feel a craving coming on also works. So, I'm thinking that maybe eating the three healthy foods, drinking a big glass of water, waiting 5-10 minutes, and then going for a 10-minute walk would keep me away from the sweets. However, I cannot attest to this because, unfortunately, I began to read the article just as I was finishing my fourth chocolate chip cookie.
So, how do you all handle it when a craving comes on? Any other expert tips? Do you just give in and hate yourself later? Give in and then exercise yourself silly to make up for the overindulgence? Or do you have super-human willpower in which case I hate your guts?
The article said you should keep three healthy food items around at all times - for example, yogurt, carrot sticks, and an apple - and when you crave something unhealthy, you should tell yourself that you have to eat those three healthy items first. It said that 9 out of 10 times you'll fill up on the healthy items and you won't want the unhealthy item anymore (or, at least, won't overindulge). If you still want the unhealthy item after eating the three healthy ones, you should give yourself permission to eat the unhealthy item. (Again, with the hopes that you will now not overindulge.)
I think I'm going to try this! I had always heard that drinking a big glass of water and waiting 5-10 minutes before allowing yourself to give in to the unhealthy food works. I also had heard that going for a 10-minute walk when you feel a craving coming on also works. So, I'm thinking that maybe eating the three healthy foods, drinking a big glass of water, waiting 5-10 minutes, and then going for a 10-minute walk would keep me away from the sweets. However, I cannot attest to this because, unfortunately, I began to read the article just as I was finishing my fourth chocolate chip cookie.
So, how do you all handle it when a craving comes on? Any other expert tips? Do you just give in and hate yourself later? Give in and then exercise yourself silly to make up for the overindulgence? Or do you have super-human willpower in which case I hate your guts?
posted by Karen Wednesday, November 15, 2006
6 Comments:
You just got spammed! EEK!
This question is hard. What do I do? Would it be during my period, after, before. Time of the month plays in huge for me. I am the worlds biggest emotional eater. I am not good at resisting. I guess I am just not the person to reply to this! LOL!
But I do think those are great ideas.
Wow, I haven't been spammed in awhile. I feel special!
I usually find something to subsitute for my food of craving. Yogurt smoothies instead of ice cream, granola bar instead of chocolate bar, popcorn instead of chips. Most of the times it works, occasionally I fall back and pig out on the junk food though.
The only problem with that is, if you ate yogurt, an apple, and carrot sticks, you'd have consumed say 200 calories - which means while thta was healthier, you could've just eaten a cookie or two and come out the same.
I keep very little tempting and unhealthy food in the house. It makes it MUCH easier to eat better. Also, a few months back I bought a book called "A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives" by Ruth Winter. After reading about the additives in processed junk food, it doesn't even appeal to me anymore. If I am really craving something, I usually have some dark chocolate. It doesn't take much dark chocolate to be satisfied.
Suzanne, I think the idea is that the healthy foods make it less likely that you'll eat a BOX of cookies, not one! LOL! I don't know about you, but I know when I'm doing the emotional eating thing when I have way too much of one thing...or several. So if I fill up on good foods before allowing myself to cave, there won't be much room for the crappy food or else I'll get sick and throw up. Oh, wait! I think I've just found a NEW tip for the emotional eater! "Binge when already full so that you will vomit." Awesome!
Elyse, for me, it's the sugar in foods that causes massive cravings. I'm better off avoiding sugar as much as possible. (I'm confident I could eat more dark chocolate than you, trust me. LOL)
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