Emotional Eating: I'll Have A Bowl Of Pasta With A Side Order Of Ice Cream, Please

Comfort food (noun): Food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking. (Source: Google)

Do you have a favorite comfort food that you lean on in times of stress?

emotional eating

Do you make a big bowl of pasta? emotional eating

Or sit yourself down with a delicious bowl (or two) of ice cream?emotional eating

Or do you want something salty like potato chips?emotional eating

Most people have a favorite food they think will help them feel better for awhile. Food will ease our stress, and every bite will melt away our problems.

That is emotional eating.

Finally, I'm in a groove of eating healthier, learning new ways to deal with stress other than relying on comfort food. I don’t want to slide backward into the pounds I worked very - VERY -  hard to take off. (And it is hard work. Every single ounce of it!)

There's so much in our lives that's not in our control. We all would love to have something that is.

So I’m working hard on fighting my urge to reach for comfort food during times of crisis. It's not always easy. I’m filling my plate with more vegetables, eating more fruit (I love summer fruit and will miss nectarines and peaches), eat at regular intervals (including healthy snacks to keep me from feeling hungry between meals) and drink more water.

According to an article in WebMD, Jane Jakubczak, a registered dietitian at The University of Maryland says that emotions trigger eating instead of the physical symptom of hunger initiating it.

Jakubczak goes on to say that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions.

Wow, that’s a lot of overeating.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t crave what my husband and son eat at dinner. The aromatic smell coming from their plates – heck, from the oven – are enough to set my palate in motion.  I’ve had bites of their meals and they do taste delicious! And while those bites taste good, I’m also happy to go back to my own delicious meal.

emotional eating

My nightly dessert: Jenny Craig Triple Chocolate Cheesecake. Photo Credit: Jenny Craig

Being on Jenny Craig has allowed me to learn better eating habits, and there's a lot of comfort in that!

What is your favorite comfort food?

*I received a free month on the Jenny Craig program and a discount on food for this review.  There was no compensation.  All opinions are solely my own.  NOTE: Clients following the Jenny Craig program lose, on average, 1 -2 lbs. per week.

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