what do YOU do instead of comfort eating? please share how YOU cope without it.

Hi,

I procrastinate from my studies by eating.

I have never studied before, so I am having a hard time making myself have to commit to something.

Over eating 1 - 2 days a week is fine. I have always let myself over eat two or so days a week; by having an extra treat over my calorie allowance.  


But  it is not cool to comfort eat, when you are not hungry,  several days a week.

I need other ways to deal with my problems - I cannot turn to food EVERY time I feel bad.


I am wondering if you could all share your other non food “ feel good”  things that you do to cope when you feel down.


I am interested to know the non food things that people do to relax and feel good.

I will start…     the following things make me feel good, and stop me from using food for comfort:

Exercising

Making friends/meeting nice people

Doing my required study, and than laying in bed watching a box set of DVD’S at nigh, KNOWING that I have done my homework for the day.



What things do YOU do instead of comfort eating?

I am so over comfort eating at the moment,  doing it too often is making me feel sick!

Ugggggggh, im reaching the end of my pre-competition lean diet.

The dramatic decrease in calories, energy AND CARBS has serverly affected my ability to study. And ive tried a fair bit to try and keep my mind focussed on studying. The only thing that has worked for me is carb binging, as criminal as it is to my diet, its the only thing i can do to keep my mind on track.

The only sub-par suggestions i have for you are eating the lowest-cal foods you can find to fill up or by drinking buckets of water (preferably) or coffee and tea.

Currently, I knit!  It's absorbing, relaxing, it keeps both my hands busy (you can't physically eat and knit at the same time) and my son & nephew will end up with a nice hat, gloves and scarf set  each at the end, so it's productive. 

Other things I do or have done in the past include learning to play the ukulele... works on the same principle as knitting but makes me laugh at the same time... and I recently spent huge amounts of time turning holiday photos and movie clips into DVDs. 

Each to their own...  

Form an online study group or meet somewhere to study.

I have healthy choices around when it comes to snacking. Right now I have a container of strawberries and melon in the fridge.

Sam

Beau -   I will definitely try to fill up on as much water as I can - so I can fit in less food….. And it makes eating extra less enjoyable when you are already filled with water…

And also -  to gain the energy to study, with the least amount of calories.

Good idea - because 200 extra calories is not ideal; but it is still better than 500 or 1000 extra


Hmmmm Jane -  I have always wanted to learn to knit. It is the sort of thing I envision would help me from over eating. I have a friend that can teach me some time too.


And GOOD idea SAM -       I also find it helps me if I do not have unhealthy things in the house;  if it is not available I cannot eat it!


Hence today,   I ate an extra desert -   but all I could find were a couple of frozen banana’s, which I dipped in lots of coconut cream.


Too many calories -  but hey if you have nothing “ unhealthy”  than at least you can lessen the damage!

And I do my studies by correspondence -   so I cannot study with any one in person.

BUT  - I am going to aim to get up and get showered and ready for the day - and to go to my local library to study -   being in that environment will motivate me to study more, than if I lazy around in my Pyjama’s at home!



AGH…….     MAN….     &nb sp; I have been a slim BMI of 18 - 19  for years now and I thought I had it all under control….   But   OMG - it is STILL easy to use food for comfort no matter how successful you get!

I was ashamed and embarrasses about it at first - but it is good to know that other people have  actually had to think of ways to distract themselves.

Lol - some times I wish I was  one of those people who does not like eating much, and therefore has never wanted to use food for enjoyment comfort.

SORRY for my vent guys.     It is just after successfully maintaining a slim weight for years,  I am still working through some annoying problems.

bmi of 18 is not slim. its underweight

I took up getting 2 jobs. Now I don't have TIME to comfort eat. Hurrah.

In all seriousness, I go bike riding / walking / ice skating / do laundry / draw / paint / play playstation / PC gaming / clean

Good advice here. 

I take a walk where there is something green.  Always relaxes me, I don't think of it as "exercise" just clearing the cobwebs out of my brain.

Embroidery, especially counted cross stitch.  Your hands have to be clean, or the work is spoiled.  Knitting would also be good, but I need to learn how!

Reading a really good book also helps for me, but I am not studying.

Keeping on a regular schedule, even on weekends helps for me.  Get up, do my calisthenics, eat a good breakfast, shower, get dressed.  If I lounge around in sweats or pj's it is all over for any productive activity for the day.

A clean house always makes me feel better about myself, as does good personal grooming.  Kind of a self-respect thing.  When I feel better about myself I tend to make better food choices.

A last resort, computer games always take my mind off food.

I am the worst at comfort eating!  (WORSE than you!   ) .. I love to, and I wouldn't give it up except for, well, my jeans and my health! 

So I got different kinds of nice teas, herbal or with caffeine, depending on the time of day -- and nice china teapots, and some beautiful English cups - on a nice tray with a silver spoon and a beautiful napkin.  I have one tray at home and one at work (but that one, for obvious reasons, isn't quite as nice ..).  At work I have an electric cupwarmer, too, to keep my pot warm awhile.

So when I feel the need for comfort, I take a few minutes to make some tea, enjoy those pretty things, and tell myself I'm special.

I think a lot of it - for me - is that at those times I need to feel the comfort of being 'special'.  It's amazing how what I think about myself is so important.

Because - the overall issue for me these days - is that I've felt so embarrassed about myself and have hated seeing photographs of myself or myself in the mirror --- and that just isn't right.  I should see myself as special - we all should! and this is one way for me to do that and fill that need at the same time.

p.s.  I knit too -- but the problem is, I can always put it down!! 

chores/cleaning

video games

watch tv or a movie

quizzes on facebook

crocheting (i find it easier than knitting)

and yes, buckle down and do the studying

I had a lot of required reading this past spring quarter and I couldn't make myself do it in my apt where there was the tv and my lap top so I too the books to the gym and read them on the treadmill lol.  Got it all done.

I get a hot shower, put on a full face of makeup, put on an outfit that makes me look and feel amazing, then go out and do something really normal like grocery shop or go for coffee. Over dressing occasions and being out in public when i know I look good makes me feel so much better.

A good way to study is with friends, I like to go to starbucks to study, it's a great way to be out with friends while doing something productive.

FIDGET My BMI is between about 18.5 - 19.2.   Depending on usual hormonal fluctuations of course.If I eat AT the recommended amount -

I lose to BMI of 18 or less.  So obviously I started to eat more. I like being slim, but I do realize that BMI of 18 or less is dangerous.

I eat enough too. So don’t even start accusing me of restricting lol.

And I have always let my self go and have a block of chocolate once a week purely for enjoyment -  not because I feel starved.

And I agree that a BMI of 18 is unhealthy.

I am not going to lie - every one complements my body when my BMI is 18 or less because I am still curvy at that weight

But as much as I would hate to gain much more weight, I would rather deal with my fear of gaining a lot, than live with the health problems of being  underweight.

Your attitude towards me upsets me because I over came fears and started to eat above the recommendations  - and have done consistently for months now. because I was losing weight when I simply ate what calculators recommended.

I ALSO KNOW that comfort eating will turn to binge eating as soon as people restrict lol -      and I would rather comfort eat,   with control,   than start to binge eat again (like I have in the past)  due to being very under weight.


THANKS for all the great suggestions guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!


My plan is to actually get more of a life and keep busier and spend less time on the internet lol.