Hi All,
Just watched an interesting ABC news report video that shows a study about how comfort food binge eating might be biological because stressed monkeys eat more:
http://www.yahoo.com/s/885404
Whether it's biology, psychology or what, it's no secret that eating extra comfort food when you are feeling stressed after a rough day at the office, or a fight with your spouse, is going to put a serious crimp in your healthy eating. Yet we are only human, so how do you cope when emotional eating urges hit and not kill your overall healthy eating habits? Here are a few tips:
1. Keep healthier versions of favorite comfort foods handy so if you eat extra, you're still not doing that much damage.
Have a crunchy craving? I know some people will say munch on baby carrots for example, which is good advice when you are in control, but when you're not, the carrots won't comfort you. Have low fat snacks around like Baked Lays, Robert's American Gourmet Pirate Booty, etc. You can crunch with less damage to your waistline.
Have a craving for sweet and creamy? No Ben & Jerry's or Hagen Daas. Keep one of the seemingly decadent, lighter versions of an ice cream treat around like Weight Watchers Chooclate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae (170 caloires, 3 grams of fat, 0 trans fat) or Weight Watchers Mint Chocolate Chip Premium Ice Cream Cups (140 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 0 grams trans fat). Both are available in many other yummy flavors as well. Not that you should, but you could eat both servings of either of these Weight Watcher's concoctions and not even come close to the calories and fat of a Ben and Jerry's or Hagen Daas.
2. If you fall off the wagon, get up, dust yourself off and get back on track.
If you do end up giving in to less than stellar traditional comfort food, don't beat yourself up, but don't think "well I've blown it, I might as well eat more crap today". Shrug it off like when a receiver in football takes a huge hit while making a catch, and get right back to your normal healthy eating habits. One day of going off the deep end won't kill you, but day two, three, one hundred...just might.
--Melanie R. Jordan, Author of Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too!
"Healthy eating with favorite comfort foods...it's deliciously possible!"
Hi All,
Just watched an interesting ABC news report video that shows a study about how comfort food binge eating might be biological because stressed monkeys eat more:
http://www.yahoo.com/s/885404
Whether it's biology, psychology or what, it's no secret that eating extra comfort food when you are feeling stressed after a rough day at the office, or a fight with your spouse, is going to put a serious crimp in your healthy eating. Yet we are only human, so how do you cope when emotional eating urges hit and not kill your overall healthy eating habits? Here are a few tips:
1. Keep healthier versions of favorite comfort foods handy so if you eat extra, you're still not doing that much damage.
Have a crunchy craving? I know some people will say munch on baby carrots for example, which is good advice when you are in control, but when you're not, the carrots won't comfort you. Have low fat snacks around like Baked Lays, Robert's American Gourmet Pirate Booty, etc. You can crunch with less damage to your waistline.
Have a craving for sweet and creamy? No Ben & Jerry's or Hagen Daas. Keep one of the seemingly decadent, lighter versions of an ice cream treat around like Weight Watchers Chooclate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae (170 caloires, 3 grams of fat, 0 trans fat) or Weight Watchers Mint Chocolate Chip Premium Ice Cream Cups (140 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 0 grams trans fat). Both are available in many other yummy flavors as well. Not that you should, but you could eat both servings of either of these Weight Watcher's concoctions and not even come close to the calories and fat of a Ben and Jerry's or Hagen Daas.
2. If you fall off the wagon, get up, dust yourself off and get back on track.
If you do end up giving in to less than stellar traditional comfort food, don't beat yourself up, but don't think "well I've blown it, I might as well eat more crap today". Shrug it off like when a receiver in football takes a huge hit while making a catch, and get right back to your normal healthy eating habits. One day of going off the deep end won't kill you, but day two, three, one hundred...just might.
--Melanie R. Jordan, Author of Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too!
"Healthy eating with favorite comfort foods...it's deliciously possible!"