You know that moment when you are standing in front of the refrigerator, ready to grab the ice cream out of the freezer, and you hear that little voice telling you not to do it? The voice saying that you won’t feel any better after you eat 1,000 calories of Snickers-infused vanilla cream goodness?
I haven’t really been paying attention to that voice very much.
A few months ago I wrote about how journaling helps me control the amount of and type of food I eat. As it turns out, I no longer feel motivated to eat healthier by writing down what I eat each day. Let me share an example:
BREAKFAST
Small bowl oatmeal with 2 teaspoons brown sugar
Diet Coke
MORNING SNACK
All the cashews from the can of mixed nuts in the cupboard
Slice of cold cheese pizza (I’m calling it an early lunch)
Another Diet Coke
LUNCH (Let’s call it afternoon snack because of the pizza I ate earlier in the day)
String cheese
A few carrots
About 10 pretzel crisps
Vanilla yogurt
One of my daughter’s fruit snacks
Another Diet Coke
DINNER
Leftover chicken breast
Edamame
Glass of wine
BEDTIME
Another glass of wine
Four or five spoonfuls of ice cream
(I guess I think if I eat the ice cream one scoop at a time, it doesn’t count as a whole bowl?)
This trend of eating whatever I find in the fridge, whenever I get the urge, is alarming. It especially concerns me going into the Season for Gaining – you know, the months between Halloween and New Year’s Day when there is typically an abundance of food everywhere. In previous years, I’ve gained a minimum 5 pounds during the holidays and, at the rate I’m going, this is going to be a season’s best.
I have many excuses, some of which I consider legit – driving five kids around for basketball practices, games, Cub Scouts, theatre class, back-to-school nights and birthday parties make it very hard to plan, cook and eat healthy meals. From what I read, women are more likely to use food as comfort and stress relief when they are busy than men. But I know I can’t let my stressful schedule dictate what I eat, and more importantly, what my kids see me eat. If I eat it, I have a hard time telling them not to do the same.
I know I’m not alone in feeling stressed trying to get it all done plus a load of laundry. As a FitCity Mom and consultant, this is the point where I’m supposed to tell you how I solved my problem and give you some new ideas to help you cope with your busy schedules. But all I can tell you is I’m fighting the urge to eat and food is winning right now.
I need your help. How do I stop this cycle of eating everything in sight and start feeling better about the food I eat?
Tags: healthy food, lifestyle diet, stress eating
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