| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating 21:59 - May 25 with 1271 views | Swailsey |
Does anyone have any tips for reducing the correlation of food and happiness?
I was on a weight loss journey from January and have managed to shift 1 3/4 stone, but during lockdown it has been a struggle. The gym did feel like a release.
I have recently (well, about 3 weeks now) stopped counting calories, as I didn’t want it to rule my life, but it’s the ‘maintaining’ which I’m struggling with and in particular my association of mood and food.
If I’m sad, I’ll want Dominoes, as it was my coping mechanism during dark times. If I’ve had a good day, I’ll want Dominoes to make it ‘perfect’. I’ve had countless times of just ‘timing out’ of dinner if we’ve planned to cook something and there will be a real panic as I wrestle with whether to order takeout and ruin my good work, or settle for what I (unfairly) class as the ‘boring’ dinner. |  |
| Who said: "Colin Healy made Cesc Fabregas look like Colin Healy"? | We miss you TLA |
| |  |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 22:01 - May 25 with 1246 views | EdwardStone |
The relationship between food and love/happiness is complicated
Every fat bloke will tell you that |  | | |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 22:04 - May 25 with 1221 views | WD19 |
I can empathise.
Exercise is key. Can you replace the gym somehow? Even if just regular walking?
And for me the calorie counting (or more specifically the daily weighing) is key to self discipline.....and in turn the avoidance of self loathing after a binge. |  | | |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 22:10 - May 25 with 1199 views | clive_baker |
Unfortunately, there's no cheat or secret. It's pretty formulaic, and if you treat it as such you will get better results. If you want to maintain, make sure you're burning as many calories as you're consuming, by either upping exercise or reducing intake, ideally both if you're not managing to do that currently.
It's obvious, but that's all there is to it. Don't deny yourself a Dominos, just be aware that when you do have one you have to have earned it and have the calories 'in the bank'. Try and view your diet on a debit / credit basis whereby you don't deny yourself treats like a Dominos, but they're well earned, and occur on a Friday / Saturday night, not an idle Tuesday lunchtime. Go after the easy wins, cut the biscuits with your tea, butter, oil, sugar in coffee, crisps, white bread. Switch chocolate for fruit etc. Making the small, incremental changes when combined will have a massive impact, and you can still have a weekly Dominos (just not daily).
Perhaps also look at what you're cooking at home so it's not deemed boring. Homemade curry, fajitas, pasta dishes etc need not be boring, but should be materially better for you than the takeaway alternatives. |  |
| |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 22:16 - May 25 with 1188 views | Dubtractor |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 22:10 - May 25 by clive_baker |
Unfortunately, there's no cheat or secret. It's pretty formulaic, and if you treat it as such you will get better results. If you want to maintain, make sure you're burning as many calories as you're consuming, by either upping exercise or reducing intake, ideally both if you're not managing to do that currently.
It's obvious, but that's all there is to it. Don't deny yourself a Dominos, just be aware that when you do have one you have to have earned it and have the calories 'in the bank'. Try and view your diet on a debit / credit basis whereby you don't deny yourself treats like a Dominos, but they're well earned, and occur on a Friday / Saturday night, not an idle Tuesday lunchtime. Go after the easy wins, cut the biscuits with your tea, butter, oil, sugar in coffee, crisps, white bread. Switch chocolate for fruit etc. Making the small, incremental changes when combined will have a massive impact, and you can still have a weekly Dominos (just not daily).
Perhaps also look at what you're cooking at home so it's not deemed boring. Homemade curry, fajitas, pasta dishes etc need not be boring, but should be materially better for you than the takeaway alternatives. |
All of this, pretty much.
The home cooking nice food is a key one in my opinion, doesn't even need to be that complicated, but nice food with good ingredients can be bloody tasty and (relatively) healthy.
I think it is important to allow yourself the occasional blowout though!
Also important burn calories too. I've lost a lot of calorie burning being stuck at home so have been getting out on my bike for a decent trek 2 or 3 times a week. Not just good for physical wellbeing but mental also, I feel 10 times better for doing it each time. [Post edited 25 May 2020 22:23]
|  |
| |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 22:32 - May 25 with 1156 views | Libero |
It’s difficult in the current circumstances but my advice on top of that already mentioned is get organised with your shopping and what meals you want in the week.
Make sure you make things you enjoy, they don’t have to be calorific and when you think about it not too much is as calorific as pizza so you’re on to a winner whatever you choose.
Tonight we had a veggie stir fry with a lemongrass sauce, we buy all the veg we like on mass then when it arrives Cut it up and bag it into portions and freeze it, meaning it cuts down on the prep time too.
Mushrooms, baby corn, spring onion, monge tout, peppers, beansprouts, water chesnut - there’s no way I’d have been arsed to cut all that up tonight if we hadn’t already done it.
Another option is buying frozen veg, since the lockdown we’ve kept some prepackaged frozen veg in the freezer in case of emergencies/not being able to get a shopping slot
But yeah, it’s a boring answer but just plan ahead to avoid potential triggers, etc. |  | | |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 08:07 - May 26 with 1004 views | Guthrum |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 22:16 - May 25 by Dubtractor |
All of this, pretty much.
The home cooking nice food is a key one in my opinion, doesn't even need to be that complicated, but nice food with good ingredients can be bloody tasty and (relatively) healthy.
I think it is important to allow yourself the occasional blowout though!
Also important burn calories too. I've lost a lot of calorie burning being stuck at home so have been getting out on my bike for a decent trek 2 or 3 times a week. Not just good for physical wellbeing but mental also, I feel 10 times better for doing it each time. [Post edited 25 May 2020 22:23]
|
Even salad can be nice, if you get decent ingredients.
For example good tomatoes, rather than the poorly-ripened, tasteless things supermarkets bulk sell (and don't keep them in the fridge when you get them home). It's worth the extra quid.
Those pre-chopped salad bags go off too quick and are loaded with sulphur. Buy a whole lettuce and chop bits off it. Or those little gem ones.
Use a nice dressing. Top it with a tasty cheese, some fish, or vegan equivalent (fried tofu, perhaps). |  |
| |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 08:13 - May 26 with 1002 views | Guthrum |
You needn't cut out Dominoes altogether. Just treat it like dessert, order a small one occasionally as a tasty component of an otherwise healthy meal, rather than a full-blown medium or large to stuff yourself.
Or make your own pizza (bases bought or home-made), which will allow you to regulate how big it is and what goes on it. Not to mention saving money. | |
| |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 08:31 - May 26 with 979 views | Dubtractor |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 08:07 - May 26 by Guthrum |
Even salad can be nice, if you get decent ingredients.
For example good tomatoes, rather than the poorly-ripened, tasteless things supermarkets bulk sell (and don't keep them in the fridge when you get them home). It's worth the extra quid.
Those pre-chopped salad bags go off too quick and are loaded with sulphur. Buy a whole lettuce and chop bits off it. Or those little gem ones.
Use a nice dressing. Top it with a tasty cheese, some fish, or vegan equivalent (fried tofu, perhaps). |
This is one of the reasons I grow veg at home. Of course I can't remotely grow enough to be self sufficient, but for the period I do have home grown veg the quality and taste is just miles better. Makes eating healthily so much easier. | |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 09:22 - May 26 with 951 views | Guthrum |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 08:31 - May 26 by Dubtractor |
This is one of the reasons I grow veg at home. Of course I can't remotely grow enough to be self sufficient, but for the period I do have home grown veg the quality and taste is just miles better. Makes eating healthily so much easier. |
I'd love to grow more vegetables. My father had an allotment when I was a child, so we ate a lot of home-grown. | |
| |
| Emotional/reflex/comfort eating on 10:01 - May 26 with 930 views | ghostofescobar |
There’s an old phrase that my Nan always used “a little of what you fancy does you good”. |  |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
