I really, really wanted to eat some shortbread cookies. But I was not hungry. I had a healthy breakfast of an egg, buckwheat bread, laughing cow, onion slices and coffee. So why? Just because they taste good? I don't think so. I decided to read the postings of a therapist. I read her blogs regularly and they often help me. I am sharing this and then what happened about the cookies.
Over-indulging on the holidays isn't inevitable. All it takes is some consciousness to see that when we overeat excessively during this season what we're trying to do is fill the gap between what we'd hoped for & what is. The happy family, close friends, loving partner & precious children we want may not exist in the way that we wish, and the combination of our disappointment and masses of rich food is too compelling. If we were to acknowledge our sadness, our losses & our loneliness, we'd be far less tempted to overdo it with the sweets and the treats. We can use this powerfully charged time to finally face the dissatisfaction we feel with our lives. We can choose to deal with the relationships that are lacking or unsatisfying & rather than stuffing down our feelings with holiday food, we can address our real needs. In this way, we'll avoid piling on the pounds & we'll have the chance to create more love & happiness for ourselves in the coming year.
Dr. Sirota
I reflected on this and then went and did a visualisation. I did not want the cookies anymore. As a matter of fact I know that I am trying to heal wounds from childhood. My parents were not as loving as they should have been. It happens. I can't heal with food. Slowly I am learning.
I hope this helps someone on the board from overindulging to heal wounds that will never be healed with food.
As usual i overindulged during these days. And of course i did it because of emotional problems (and more), and of course i don't want to face them, and of course food helps me through The post from the blog is very good....
I have been so surprised, and disappointed by how crappy everything tastes. The kids helped me make five different types of cookies. The lemon ones tasted good for a minute while they were warm, but I must have taken ten bites of cookies over the last few days, only to spit it out and throw the rest away, because it was dry and really just not yummy like I "remembered" from years past.
I've been finding this a lot with food in general. Most of it is just crap. Lol restaurants and anything pre made if such low quality that it doesn't even taste good. I find myself thinking a lot like another member on here who really only indulges on really, really good food. Since thatis often expensive or very time consuming to make, it really is a special treat.
But....I'm still oddly upset that the gingerbread loaf wasn't good today. But I surely did a number on the cinnamon swirl French toast and real bacon I made this morning.
i overindulge in food because i love to eat and food tastes good LOL...i admire the people who can look deeper into themselves for a more profound reason and overcome that...i just love food and love feeling full
so i work with that...i make sure that i eat what i really REALLY want, not just crappy stuff that's in front of me, and to eat when i'm really hungry, and try not to eat too much...and to pick what i want to eat...for example, i'm passing up the cheap christmas chocolates in favor of eating more of a homemade old-fashioned dessert that i made for dinner tonight
and i work out....i worked out yesterday and will work out tomorrow
I have been so surprised, and disappointed by how crappy everything tastes. ....just not yummy like I "remembered" from years past.
I've been finding this a lot with food in general. Most of it is just crap.
Me too! I've been experiencing the same thing, lately. Not with everything, and not all the time, but more often, with more foods. This makes me happy.
I still eat because it's good, not because I'm hungry. I still eat even though I'm full. I don't think I over eat at holidays to fill a void. I do it because the food is good and it's there. This is not to say I don't still eat my feelings. I'm still working on that.
Overall, however, I'm noticing a change in what I eat, how I eat, when I eat, my appetite and so on. It's such a welcome change!
I can not believe how much my taste buds have changed since increasing my intake of veggies, lean proteins and healthy fats.
I was looking forward to eating the desserts we have every year. I only ate a very small piece of cake and 2 small cookies - I couldn't eat anymore sweets after that. I didn't want any juice or alcohol, I just wanted water. When I looked at my plate there were a ton of veggies and not so much meat and starchy food.
I did enjoy my weekly cheat meal on Saturday so maybe my body was satisfied, but I still can not get over how I look at food differently. It was a longgggg road to get here but I am thrilled to get to this point!
Last edited by SunnySide99; 12-25-2012 at 11:05 PM.
Reason: typo
Well I'm just at the beginning of my journey, but am at my parent for a few weeks with the kids . . food, snacks, sweets everywhere . . .and I have caved in . . . the last two days have been just crazy eating for me, no self-control . . . starting again to eat healthy tomorrow.
I've become pickier over the years, and will also shun cheap 'industrial' Xmas goods in favour of homemade food and treats. For instance, this is the only time of the year when I get to eat game, nicely cooked by my mother, so I was certainly not about to ditch it; on the other hand, while we had a very rich lunch yesterday, I didn't have breakfast (ate too late on the 24th/not hungry) nor dinner (still not hungry XD). I guess it's all going to even out in the end.
I used to be convinced that I was filling an emotional void with food, but now I'm not so sure anymore. Our Christmases here are quite depressing in a way (good food, alright, only the whole atmosphere is 'off' because of all the money problems underlying everything, and things clearly not being as sweet as they were even some 10 years ago ); still, I haven't felt like overeating because of that (I sleep in the same toom as 20 boxes of cookies and other pastries, and I haven't even sneak-eaten anything). So I don't know.
But then, I've also been watching my weight for years, basically nipping every gain in the bud because I'm way too lazy to be dieting again; I think I'm now used to 'naturally' balance out over-indulging with days-after when I barely eat, simply because I'm not hungry yet. I probably wouldn't have been able to manage things like that some 5 or 6 years ago.
i overindulge in food because i love to eat and food tastes good LOL...i admire the people who can look deeper into themselves for a more profound reason and overcome that...i just love food and love feeling full.
Same here. I didn't plan on overindulging at Christmas dinner last night, but I did. There was just too much good food around! New day, new resolve. I'm off to the gym later this morning to work some of it off.
I overeat simply because I like food and it tastes good... and it has been a terrible habit. I am sure there are some people who do it because of emotional issues, etc. but that is not the case for some of us. For me it is just a matter of not giving in to the bad habits I have developed and eating just because I like it.
And I too am finding that, after eating healthful foods for so long, the junk and processed garbage just no longer tastes good. Now it just tastes like the chemicals, sugar, salt and fat that it is filled with. I simply stayed on plan during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season and am so glad I did. Overeating is just not worth the price I pay for it.
And I too am finding that, after eating healthful foods for so long, the junk and processed garbage just no longer tastes good. Now it just tastes like the chemicals, sugar, salt and fat that it is filled with. I simply stayed on plan during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season and am so glad I did. Overeating is just not worth the price I pay for it.
Same here, but I have an added twist of feeling physically ill from the stuff. My fiancé bought a chocolate peanut butter cake over and I had a bite! Just a bite! That night I felt horrible. My stomach hurt, I had a splitting headache and I just felt crappy. Never again. I'm sticking with the stuff I made or fruit.
The night before I had apple pie and some honey balls, all that my mother and I made. I was fine. Last night I had a pear for dessert. Also fine. That dang cake did me in the other night!
I've been up early this morning, nursing lemon-ginger tea and hoping the burning aching stomach pains that woke me up will subside. Usually some tomato+spicy+coffee+travel or other stress combo is what sets it off, but I'm pretty sure this horrendous pain was triggered by simply overeating too much rich food.
I don't regret the homemade indulgences I had yesterday from a calorie standpoint, but yikes, I've definitely got buyer's remorse for what I've put my poor tummy through!
I'm not sure I was eating to fill a void, even though I've definitely been battling complex, painful feelings over choosing to spend the holidays away from dysfunctional extended family. While I think I don't put a huge value on Christmas, my family always has - and celebrated with far too much food! Cultural upbringing just runs so deep sometimes. For me, Christmas Day itself is one day for splurges and decadences. When it's really just one day and not a month, I'm not sure that's such a bad attitude to have.
Holiday Overindulging
The post from the blog is very good....
I worked out yesterday but nothing planned until Friday.
