BAM! It all hits the fan and I'm reaching for Poptarts again!

[gcvmom]

I should have known it wouldn't last. That peaceful, in-control feeling that was slowly coming over me the past few weeks. difficult child 1 was getting his school evaluation, difficult child 2 seemed more stable, school was ending soon, no big crisis on the horizon. Then BAM! husband loses his job yesterday and I'm craving junk again and seeking solace in PopTarts and hot coffee! I'm not sleeping well either. And my mood has definitely soured.

I know it's all understandable, but what are some tricks you all have used during times like this to hoist yourself out of the hole and get back on track with a healthy diet and exercise?

 

[Andy]

GET AWAY FROM THOSE POPTARTS! Hands up! Back away! Ask someone in the house to get rid of them for you!

First thing, do as we do when our kids are not allowed something - Don't let it enter the house. O.k. don't buy it and eat it on the way home so that it does not enter the house either.

It is soooo hard to find the substitutes we need for the one item we crave. The more you crave it the more you want it. So, I may get into trouble for this but, you may have 1/2 of a poptart on the condition that you also eat a very large apple.

I don't know what a good substitute would be for a poptart. Maybe a small bowl of cereal? Then you will be getting vitamins also.

If you really can not resist something, make sure you eat a ton of fruits and veggies and other healthy things and then hopefully you will be too full on healthy stuff to eat the not so healthy?

I really don't have much advise. I am not good at will power when my mind gets a craving.

 

[AnnieO]

Take a walk... By yourself... Let your mind wander over the problems or whatever it wants to think about.

Poptarts aren't all bad. I crave Frosted Flakes or Triscuits with braunschweiger. Either sugary or salty and fattening.

Have a few, then don't buy any more... It helps...

 

[gcvmom]

LOL... it's husband who bought them -- for the KIDS. It's just that they are there, calling to me, and I don't feel like preparing anything healthy. It's just too much effort today.

A walk would be good. But I'm tired from not sleeping well, plus I walked about 5 miles yesterday with the 6th graders on a field trip. Ugh.

I guess this is just one of those hard days and I'll have to leave it at that. But when the excitement and activities of the final days of school are over, hopefully I can get back on track.

At least I'm still taking my vitamins.

 

[ML]

I concur with the long walks. I also agree that the more you eat sugar, the more you crave it. If you have to eat sugar, try to get some fiber and protein too. I love the Kashi Go Lean Original as it has 10 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein in a serving and it helps my cravings.

I'm so sorry about the job situation.

Sending prayers of support.

Love,

ML

 

[Wiped Out]

You're right that it is understandable to be grabbing for food so don't be hard on yourself. Eating is such an emotional thing. There are many times I still struggle but right now I am handling the stress well.

I will actually tell myself I am not going to eat just because I'm stressed with difficult child and work right now. I'm exercising which always makes me feel better.

When I know I'm craving sweets, I stock up o n sweets that are good for me like chocolate Fiber 1 bars and/or Fiber + bars-both are yummy.

by the way, Fiber 1 has lots of excellent products out right now including poptarts!

 

[SearchingForRainbows]

gcvmom,

I'm an emotional eater too. I use Andy's method of getting rid of all "junk" I know I'm not able to resist. I buy snacks and treats for the kids that I won't eat. I don't believe there is any such thing as permanent willpower. With this in mind, I would start by asking your husband not to buy "junk" for the kids that you know you can't resist. Don't let your husband try to sabotage your efforts at being healthy!

Like Sharon (WO), exercise helps me control my emotional eating more than anything else. I believe I need to exercise the most when I want to do it the least. I always tell myself that if I really can't handle it, I can stop after 10 minutes. (I read this somewhere a long time ago.) However, even if the first 10 minutes is really difficult, my mindset begins to change - Exercising gets easier the longer I continue. By the end of a half hour, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I think this is what keeps me from raiding the kitchen.

Another thing I do is to keep a favorite article of clothing in plain sight in my room. At this time of year I use a swimsuit but you can use a favorite pair of jeans, etc. I try the swimsuit on and if I'm not happy with the way it looks, the visual impact is a huge wake-up call to stop eating and get moving.

I know that I can't control the negative impact and chaos my difficult children create on a daily basis. The one thing I know I have control over is taking care of myself the best I can. When I feel good about myself both physically and emotionally, life with difficult children just seems a bit easier. I remind myself of this often.

You can get back on track!!! Don't waste time being hard on yourself for emotionally eating. As I always say, living a healthy lifestyle is not easy. It takes lots of hard work. Slipping up happens. It's what you do about it that is important.

Please post often. We'll be here for you. Hugs... WFEN

 

[1905]

Eat 2, that's what you do! That is a meal, they are 500 calories for 2. So, in order to keep yourself from craving them, give in and enjoy them. Count them among your calories for the day. Otherwise, you'll eat too much later and still will crave them.

 

[gcvmom]

Well, I'm doing better... and our camping trip ought to help me kick my exercise into high gear We usually do a lot of hiking between the long hours of fishing on the shore... and we're bringing kayaks and bikes, so I'll have plenty of opportunity to see how sore I can make myself

Hopefully my scale will have a new and improved reading for me when we get back!