Self care: Alternatives to food
 

Several times I've made lists of 100 things to do instead of eat...
Please share your own successful alternatives.. and lets make this a big long resource for all...

Take a walk
Fill the bird bath/feeder
Draw a picture of what I'm thinking of eating, AND how I'll look if I do
Call a friend
Plan a meeting with a friend
Sit on my hands and count my breaths until I get to 10 (slooooow breathing!
Go sit in my car with the windows up and curse not being a naturally thin person.

Your turn.

Good idea PainterWoman,

Here are some things I do:

-- Knit - keeps your hands busy, can't eat and knit at the same time!
-- drink water - sometimes I feel hungry, when I'm really thirsty
-- buy myself a flower - when I want to escape my desk (I used to go buy a snack, but now I go buy a single flower from the florist up the street - it's no more expensive than the $$ I used to spend on treats and it reminds me of my good choice every time I look at it!)
-- play with the cat
-- promise myself I can have the treat next week when I work it into my food plan (I usually forget I ever wanted it by next week)
-- go for a walk
-- call friends/family
-- read
-- garden

Kris
261-188-155

-Paint my fingernails! It takes at least an hour for me to paint them and they look so pretty, I don't want to ruin them by trying to eat with wet nails so I have to wait for them to dry. By that time, I've forgotten.

-Brush my teeth. Floss. Rinsh with Listerine. Now, I really don't want to stick something into that ultra-clean mouth.

-Play a really involved video game. Civ II, Sims, tetris.

-Do a chore.

-Take the dogs for a walk.

-Go on allrecipes.com and figure what new sidedish I can make for dinner.

oh this is so important! I've been having real problems with this self-care thing. doesn't come naturally.

soooo i carry my knitting everywhere. when i lost a needle last week, i panicked, even though i knew i wouldn'[t be able to knit even if i had the needle!

chewing gum works sometimes.

and as much as i hate to admit this, one of the main reasons i want to eat is stress. the only thing that helps [and i'm really shocked to be saying this] is exercise! a hike, a walk, weights

as part of the self-care [which also includes taking my asthma medication!], i've been getting regular massages. trying to assure myself that i'm worth it. that this is all ok.

also planning time with friends, especially those who understand and listen. i don't talk from the heart readily, so i really value those relationships. whether on line or face to face.

Hi I finally found you.....I looked everywhere but here, yesterday.... OK guys.... how can I stay OP late at night after my DH has gone to bed??? Don't say go to bed too. I can not go to bed at 9:30 like he does. I have tried and it is miserable!! I am good about staying OP until he goes to bed...I can't do anything that makes alot of noise....we have a small house. Thanks, Whimsey

#1 - Cross Stitch
#2 - Stamp (I'm a Stampin' Up! Demo)
#3 - Find hubby for a roll in the hay (hee hee)
#4 - Go for a bike ride
#5 - Take Coda the Wonder Puppy to the park
#6 - Break out my guitar and sing
#7 - Call my mom
#8 - Paint my toenails/give myself a pedicure
#9 - Go for a walk
#10 - Come onto 3FC
#11 - Write down 5 reasons I want to lose weight
#12 - Say this 5 times "Don't waste what you want at the moment for what you want most."
#13 - Have a bad food trashing party - dump cleaner on left over pizza, melt bad ice cream in the sink, "kill" whatever bad thing it is in the house that I'm craving...
#14 - Allow myself a SMALL REASONABLE portion of what I'm craving, and write it down in my journal
#15 - read through my list of inspirational sayings from Wendy my WW leader

I need to have a Dunkin Donuts and Pizza Hut funeral one of these days, I don't think I can ever eat anything from those places ever again. It's sad, but I think I need to say goodbye to them once and for all. Perhaps I can draw little pictures of what the stores look like and then set the pictures on fire?

BA, hahahahaha, have someone come & say a few words about how great those places were, but how they WILL NOT help you reach your goals. Sounds like a great idea. :)

I want to come to this party!! Can we include a carton of Ben and Jerry's and maybe some McDonalds French Fries?

Wendy's fries too. Oh I will miss them. :( I pretty easily said goodbye to B&J's Ice Cream... it just seems to be the donuts and pizza I struggle with.

BA - I'll bring a label from a 2 liter (serving size) of real coke. I LOVE THAT STUFF WAHHHHH!!!!

I don't know if this is the healthy way of seeing it...maybe it is my past habits talking, but when I think that I want to have something, I envision the fat that it will only add to my hind end. I have been able to take the foods I use to crave to eat and turned them into a source, in my mind, of illness and fat.

They say if you can resist a desire for at least 3 minutes, then it will pass...It does work for me.

Brought this one out of the archives.....thought it was important in the fight against boredom....come on everybody..What do you do when you want to eat..and you know good and well YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY....

~~Go to a movie ...by yourself if you have too
~~Take a long walk in a neighborhood that you drive by and always say to yourself..What a nice neighborhood.
~~Go to the Dollar store (Hey they have good stuff)
~~Flip thru the really good clothing catalogs like Spiegil and J Jill and dream of all the clothes you can buy once the weight is gone
~~Go to the hallmark store and buy a couple of cards just because for people you love
~~Do a body treatment..loofah/exfoliant your entire body..then soak in essential oils..then rub down with a high quality lotion
~~Meditate...they have some really good meditation CD's out now days
~~Rent a movie that you really LOVED and re-watch it
~~Write a love letter to yourself..Express why you are on this health journey.
~~Find your husband or love partner and KISS like you use too when you first met...(i like this one)
~~Give yourself a LIP treatment
~~Give yourself a Facial..don't forget to exfoliate.
~~Give yourself a manicure.
~~Make a notebook/scrapbook about YOU..fill it with motivational things that are important to you..pictures..there are alot of very cool stickers out.
~~Practice deep breathing techniques (Greer Cilders sp?)
~~Practice/Learn more about STRETCHING ...I read recently that we should all be stretching in the morn and night?
~~AND finally................When all else fails...............go to Barnes & Noble and READ!:)

I have found my charity work to be a great source of relaxation and joy. Even when I was stuffing bags full of candy I wasn't tempted to eat it because I didn't want to run out and short anyone else.

I love to read and if its a good book it will go away.

I can't eat crap and browse 3FC it makes me feel guilty. I hate guilt I am one of those gross no regrets people.

Drink 1 L of water if you can eat after that more power to you! I have found this will make food run through your system in a most uncomfortable manner! LOL!

Miss Chris