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.

 

Life Happens When You're Busy Making Other Plans

We all know the quote that is attributed to John Lennon saying, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." The quote is brilliant because it's honest and true.

An ordinary day can turn on a dime.

A person rarely reaches my age without learning some hard lessons about life after facing illness, financial struggles, toxic relationships or tragedy. These are inevitable as we age, and the lessons we learn forces us to acquire some survival skills.

If you're wise you'll realize that being flexible about the inevitable twists and turns of life is healthier for you. Because the life we plan and the life we lead are, more times than not, two very different things.

Bending instead of breaking is always optimal.

For instance, over the past week I said farewell to a dear friend.

Life

and cared for a sick one.

Life

I celebrated some exciting family successes,

Life

and was mindful of a few happy moments walking by.

lifeIt's important to remain focused on staying healthy while maneuvering the highs and lows of daily life. Eating right, getting plenty of exercise and practicing a stress-reducing activity (such as meditation) will help keep our bodies happy as we age.

Life

It was the 1980's and big hair was, well, BIG!

Here's what worked for me this week:

Visualizing how I want to look and feel: At 55 I won't feel like I did at 25, 35, or 45. I'm trying to be the best ME I can be at this age. I'm not perfect. I stumble and fall, but I always try to get myself back up to try even harder.

Eating less: I have the Jenny Craig meal plan on my side to help me eat healthy meals, and I add fresh fruits and vegetables to each meal.  This week I ate several meals out, so I'd cut up fresh veggies and carried them in a Zip-Lock bag in my purse. I tried to plan what I'd eat before every outing (a special thanks to Houston's tuna sashimi salad with cilantro viniagrette - a big yum!) Was I perfect? No.  I'm a work in progress. But I'm eating healthier than I was a year ago. That's a step in the right direction!

Life

Finally met Carol April of ndy (Not Done Yet) and she came bearing gifts and a new friendship.

Feeling better about the way I look: I'm fighting every (single) ounce to get off my body.  It's a battle, and so far I've lost 12 pounds since December.  I don't want to gain any weight back after working so hard to take them off.  That fact continues to motivate me.

I like telling my husband that I'm losing weight: Okay, I admit it.  It feels good to tell my husband my good news.  Do you have any idea what it's like to be married to someone who weighs the same as he did when we met 29 years ago?  He is dedicated to eating right and getting plenty of exercise. He also has great metabolism! This can be maddening at times, so I try to imagine what it feels like to never worry about gaining weight. Ah, Utopia.

What do you do to take care of your health as you age?

*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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How Jenny Craig Helped Me On Christmas Day

The Jenny Craig program has been good for me after my first two weeks.  I’ve already lost a few pounds by eating their pre-planned meals, listening to the advice of my consultant and beginning a mindful approach toward eating.

But last week's question, “Am I crazy to start a diet before the holidays?” still looms large for me. In our family, December 25 is a double whammy – Herbmas (Dad’s 86th birthday) and Christmas.

This day was going to be a challenge.

Happy Herbmas More Desserts - Jenny CraigIt all started out fine. I ate my Jenny breakfast along with a small apple, coffee and several glasses of water to fill me up.  I worked out a healthy eating plan, in my mind, before we left for our party because I knew there would be lots of tempting food that might derail my diet.

Jenny Craig Breakfast Scramble

Jenny Craig's Breakfast Scramble
Photo: jennycraig.com

My goals of weight loss and feeling healthy are important to me, and I wanted to be mindful of those goals.

We left for the party, and when we arrived at my brother’s house there was food as far as the eye could see.  Not only were we going to be treated to delicacies such as smoked salmon, whitefish and fresh bagels, but also to his girlfriend’s luscious-looking ham.

The table was set for 18 guests, and every inch of it was covered with some holiday delicacy just begging to be eaten.

It was going to be a true test of my willpower.  When it comes to food, willpower hasn’t always been my forte.

I was glad I arrived somewhat satisfied, and avoided doing what I usually do.  Grabbing pieces of this food or that and sticking them into my mouth “for just a little taste.”

Those little tastes always add up to a higher daily caloric intake than I should have. I want to keep the pounds I’d taken off….off!

When it was time to sit down and eat, I followed what I planned out that morning.  I put a pile of vegetables on my plate, along with half a plain bagel, a piece of lox and a smidgeon of whitefish. (They are fish - okay a bit saltier than I should have- but they are healthy Omega's right?)

Then it was time for dessert.  Uh oh.

Herbmas Desserts and Weight Loss Jenny Craig

The fruit salad my husband prepared looked tiny (and lonely) compared to all of the other desserts being offered.

Being a chocoholic, this part of the meal was going to be my most difficult battle.

I tried to repeat to myself that later I’d have my delicious Jenny Craig Triple Chocolate Cheesecake to look forward to, making Friday’s weigh-in a happy time for me.

When the desserts were cleared, I felt proud of myself that I skipped dessert.  But I still felt hungry.

When my nephew sat down next to me eating a plate of bagel chips, they looked yummy. So what did I do? I got my own small plate, thinking what harm could come from eating them?

After eating the last one, I wondered if I should have opted for more fruit salad instead.

Being on a weight loss plan is not only about losing weight, but it's also about being mindful of what you are eating.  That includes knowing how to stay full by making smart food choices instead of filling up on empty calories.

When I go to my Jenny appointment tomorrow, I will thank my consultant for her sound advice, discuss the challenges I faced during the week, and plan the week ahead with her, including New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Losing weight and feeling healthy are two goals I’m serious about.  So was I crazy to start a diet over the holidays?  I'll keep you posted!

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

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