On Mondays and Tuesdays I work from home, and it's a huge challenge to stay away from the kitchen. Today, all I want to do today is eat, eat, eat... and not free foods, either! I've got a pot of the 0-pt soup in the fridge, and all the ingredients on hand to make 1-pt chili but of course those aren't what's calling my name. It's not hunger, more of an emotional eating thing I guess, since I've spent so long eating whatever I want whenever I want it. It doesn't help that I'm feeling fat today, and I missed the gym yesterday and this morning. I haven't done too much damage yet - 3 melba crackers, 1 Lite Laughing Cow, 1/2 a grapefruit - but I feel like I might... talk me down ladies! Do you ever feel like this, and how do you handle it?
Have you tried drinking water? I read somewhere that we should drink a big glass of water when we feel that way that a lot of times we are really dehydrated not hungry. They say drink the water and wait 10 or 20 minutes and see if you are still hungry. If you're still hungry then it is really hunger. Just a thought. It might work.
I struggle with that a lot. One thing that kind of helps me is to think, "Ok, I'll do something else for half an hour. If I still want to binge then, I'll let myself." After thirty minutes I do the same thing. If I can keep postponing the binge by thirty minutes I may still eat too much but by that time it will probably be less than if I just let myself eat all night.
Get out of the house...get yourself away from what ever might be setting you off. Go for a walk or a drive. Go and buy yourself a new shirt or something else that will make you feel good about yourself. That is what I try to do...I have been substituting shopping for eating. I guess it is still a form of consuming on some level. I woud rather buy something then eat myself sick. It is not a problem until the charge bill arrives. AAnd you can always return the purchase if need be. Has anyone else tried this?
I'm going through the same thing right now. I'm the only one dieting in the house and my boyfriend is a massive junk food eater so we've got all this great tasting food and I can't touch it. What helps me is drinking water like the other replier suggested and I personally scare myself. I'm a diabetic and I have an ulser on my leg and I'm only 22 years old so I remind myself what can happen.
I second getting out of the house, but you don't necessarily need to buy something. Go window shopping at a mall -- you get exercise from walking and LOTS of distraction. Go for a hike. Go visit a friend. Go to a library. Or a coffee shop (and get a COFFEE, not hyped up sugar water). Go to the gym! Do anything to get yourself OUT of your kitchen. Once the availability of food is gone, you may find your desire to eat goes away too. Plus in most instances you'll be doing something with your body, which helps you feel more energized and happier with your progress.
Ick! I had a day like that yesterday. I weas bored and lonely (my hubby was gone for work) and started to eat just because. I don't think I ate too bad- everything I ate were WW goodies that I had made my self. Maybe you should try that.... find some great recipies for baked goods and keep a stock in the house. I ate lemon bars and diet cola cake. So I binged- but not on REALLY bad stuff...
I am working from home today and dealing with the same issues. When I'm at the office I don't have any crap food around and it's a loooooong way to get to the vending machines, thank God!
I found a recipe on this board that has been saving me. I take a bag of 94% fat free popcorn (which I absolutely despise) pop it, spray with butter cooking spray, add 4 packets of sweetener and cinnamon to taste and I can eat the huge bag for only 2pts! I love it. Dressing up the dry, nasty popcorn is a Godsend for me! I get the sweet stuff I crave, yet the crunchy snack and it makes a huge bowl, so I feel like I'm really getting a lot of food.
I use to love cinnamon/sugar toast as a kid and that's what this reminds me of.
Another zero point snack I use is sugar free Jello squares.
Water: That's what I did when I finished posting - went and had two big glasses, then another one on the hour every hour.
Waiting a while: that's a great idea. Sometimes I can do that with little effort, but today I just felt *driven* to eat and keep on eating.
Getting out of the house: yes, that works too. When I'm out running errands or whatever, just busy, I don't usually care about eating. Today, tho, it just wasn't an option; I'm chained to my desk from 9 to 3, and it's within spitting distance of the fridge!!
Legal snacks: That's what I turned to. I've been eating low fat stuff, but too much of it I'm sure. I had one of those 1 pt chocolate caramel bars, and a 2 pt sweet and salty after lunch, which was lots of 0 pt soup, Laughing Cow and crackers. Also had a bowl of Corn Bran cereal with skim.
The popcorn sounds great - think I'll go and get me some now...
I hope I'm back to normal tomorrow; WI is on Friday and I feel huge :-(
I second going for a walk or some kind of exercise.
Also, eating something like an apple that takes a little while to eat.
The popcorn works for me too, I got those 100 calorie packs, I need to get some of that spray-on butter stuff. I used to use it and I kind of forgot about it.
If you're crafty, maybe taking up something that makes you use your hands like crochet or cross-stitch, it's hard to eat when you're doing something. Also, if you're doing something you don't want to get cheeto's stuff on or drip some sauce on, that'll help, too.
Most important, keep trying to get back OP, don't quit!! It'll come together eventually, just stick with it!
I work at home -- my dining room is my office, and my kitchen is *right there* ! If I get an overwhelming urge...I actually cook. I'll use that time to make the 0-point soup, or get a start on my OP dinner. It's weird -- just spending the time in a food-related activity (esp. one that is helping me stay OP) is like a shot in the arm, and helps me with my resolve.
If there's nothing to cook, I'll make a pot of herbal tea!