Compulsive Overeating

Haha, that's cute Heeven

Bella, I think you're fatigued from eating all that junk, and I suggest
you start changing your eating habits, then your energy comes back by
itself, and you're more likely to get into an exercise program for yourself.

I think that's a great idea what JBP said about the lean cuisine food
right after you get back home from work. It's healthy and it will satisfy
your immediate hunger.

For breakfast you can have a bagel, no problem, but eat some eggs
along with it, as it will give you already a good protein start. Once you're
in the office, drink coffee (natural diuretic and appetite suppressant),
and have a yogurt mid morning. For your sugar cravings, eat something
with a high potassium level - either a banana or - like I do - drink coconut
water. I drink every day a small glass of coconut water, and it helps
my chocolate cravings tremendously.

Your lunch of either sandwich or soup sounds good. Try to have some
salad along with it, it will make you less hungry in the afternoon. There
you can have a snack of either fruits (ideally) or Nabisco has this great
100 calories chips and snacks. I buy the toasted chips with sour cream
and onions which have great flavor and are very satisfying. One small
bag is enough, and it should bring you through the afternoon. Try to
drink lots of water.

Once you're home, pop the lean cuisine in the microwave, and after
you've eaten that, you could start cooking a real meal, perhaps some
larger quantities you could freeze for lazy days ahead.

Ade can be with you in the kitchen in a high chair and while you chop
the vegetables, potatoes or whatever you have plenty of time to interact with her.

Also, don't let the dogs out by themselves. Put them on a leash and
walk them around the neighborhood in the morning, at lunch and in the
evening. The walk will do you good, and them as well.

Write a "to do" list of your daily chores and activities, hang it on the refrigerator and check it off, once you're done. This is especially helpful
in the beginning when you haven't got the changes down pat yet.

You are all so wise.

This is just what I needed.

(hugs)

Hugs back, and Ade, and to your hub. Oh, and while I'm at it, the dogs..

my dogs are barking!

Hugs to your dogs too...

you are getting sleepy. You are getting sleepy...

A good, filling, happy breakfast is ....


oatmeal.

Even the sweetened stuff. It's portable and easy. It fills you up with fiber. It holds you for a long time.

It also has nearly no fat, and zero cholesterol. In fact, it might help clean some of that out, although studies differ. But even if it doesn't have cholesterol-busting properties, it's still a good happy food for watching your weight.

Yogurt -- be aware that a lot of it has high fructose corn syrup. Choose the plain kind and add fruit. That's more fiber and it's the good kind of sugar.

Try to eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegs per day. 8 would be even better. This means other calories will have to go bye-bye. As in the chips.

Meat is okay but it shouldn't be the centerpiece of the meal. Carbs are fine if you're cooking for yourself. Potatoes, for example, are great. Boxed crackers, not so much.

Watch the salt. Lean cuisines, etc. are loaded with it, and it'll make you retain water.

But speaking of water -- drink it! Optimally we're talking 8 8-oz glasses per day. It takes a while to get used to that, so ramp up in stages. And substitute it for other drinks. You know, the kinds with calories.

Water is also helpful when it comes to all that fiber, if yanno what I mean.

Exercise -- start slow -- as in one rep per day if you have to. But start.

You're doing well, you've got the right attitude. If there was a Fitness Fairy, we'd all make wishes every night. But there isn't. We have to make those wishes come true ourselves. You can do this!

You know what I like for lunch Bella?

Those Amy's vegetarian entrees. They're a little pricey, but I appreciate them that much more.

Some of the items I don't care for, but others are great.

Also, Morningstar Farms makes a soy corndog...I swear to God it tastes like the real thing, but not greasy..they are only 150 cal ea. and microwave in 1 minute. Good for a mid afternoon snack, and you feel like you really ate something.

How about those snack size bags of microwave popcorn?

Have you ever tried jicama? Crunchy with a sweet taste, but mostly water.

Cumcumber slices marinated in balsamic vinegar, and just a touch of oil? Good with those little Nature Sweet tomatoes. I like it with parm cheese sprinkled on top.

And I may be the only person on earth who has thrown out Amy's. I completely avoid it now. Snarl. Blando sht, coated with ? white cheddar in near every can and recipe. Really, skip it, and learn to cook. (Hostile, yes, but this is weak stuff.)

What the hell is a soy corn dog???

I gotta go meditate on a three legged chair...

Amy's takes over the very slim veggie aisle, and freezer unit. Sort of the cheese spider horrid, in my opinion. I'd like to see some improved effort..

Well, I have yet to find any frozen dinner that appeals to me. I just don't like them.

But thanks for the suggestion.

:wink:

osso...yeah, I've had some Amy's that were yucky...but, I live their vegetable pot pies, and especially the ones where the mixture is in a pastry, like a hot pocket.

Is that a sexual thing?

Don't know if somebody already asked, but how are you sleeping? When you describe what's going on with you it reminds me so much of when I get in my ruts. It usually starts with not enough sleep, then I over caffeinate to compensate, which makes me crave sweet foods. I don't have enough energy so I eat more -- usually easy access foods that are not very healthy. The way I get out of my rut is by taking b-complex vitamins (for some reason I notice a decrease in sweets cravings when I take one every morning) and trying to add activity in the morning or early afternoon when my energy is higher. If I put it off to the evening I'll be way to sapped to do it. Do you walk the dogs? That seems like a way to get some exercise without having to add too much to your schedule.

When my kids were babies, I found it was easier to get exercise with them on my back in a baby backpack than with them in a stroller. It left my hands free (for swinging big strides) and they usually fell asleep back there.

Good luck Bella, I really do know how you feel and I wish you the best.

I am sleeping like ****, to be totally honest with you.

Here you go. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041206210355.htm

I think there are probably more recent articles and studies too.

Excellent points from FreeDuck.

The other thing I'd add/ amplify is that it's counterintuitive but the more you exercise, the more energy you have.

That is definitely true. Exercise also helps you sleep better -- one of those catch 22 things.

Re: Compulsive Overeating


Break the triggers. You already know you are eating compulsively. You aren't going to be easily able to stop that cold-turkey so dominate the compulsion without denying it.

Do this by scheduling the compulsion. Let's say you tend to snack every hour (just using this figure for the simple math, adjust accordingly). Then make a rule for yourself that you can only snack at the top of the hour. If you miss it you must wait one hour.

This way, you aren't trying to give it up entirely, just mastering the compulsion so it's disassociated with triggers like being bored, being on the phone or whatever it is that you currently have as a trigger. This will make it easier to reduce the snacking when you decide to, because you won't have hundreds of these daily activities that just must be enhanced with a snack.

One thing that can also help with compulsion is tracking. But that depends on if your compulsion is helped by things like tracking. If so, then use some kind of meticulous tracking, so that every missed compulsion in eating satisfies your boredom by creating something measurable toward your goal. There are websites and software that you can use for this (don't have any particular recommendations but I can look for the ones I've heard of if you are interested).

Wow....I really like that idea of scheduling your compulsion, and if you miss your time, you have to wait.

Where'd you learn that?