Since becoming single my new love is food. - Al-Anon Family Group

Breakingfree · ~*Service Worker*~

Since becoming single my new love is food.

Katy · ~*Service Worker*~

Dear Breakingfree,

I can relate to using food as a comfort, and I too have been over eating due to stress and worry over christmas and our son, and have now decided I need to stop it, as it's making me feel more down, so I am trying really hard to eat healthy and not snack in the evenings on junk food out of boredom becuase of the dark nights and cold weather and missing my son, so? I have been making myself big pans of soup ever so easy and ever so cheap, but more importantly available quickly, and filling, I have also a favourite leather motorbike jacket that I can't fit into and so I am using that as a goal, I think of that feeling of happiness when I can get back into that jacket and the feeling far exceeds the feeling of self loathing when I have been binging on junk food and can't stop, just like anything I think you need to be in the right mind set to get cracking on this dicaplin, and have realistic goals, January here in england is a really depressing time, but still no excuse to make myself feel worse, I guess it's finding something else to replace the eating, I have been watching programmes on the problems of being over weight, I am not though vastly, but it reminds me of the problems that I could bring upon myself if I continue what I am doing, also the money aspect I can buy a whole lot of fruit for the price of the sweets I have kept buying, For me it;s that quick fix, so I cut fruit up and keep it in a container in the fridge and yep I can even over do that but it has to be better than eating chocolate until I feel sick, your not alone, chick.

love

Katy

x

tiredtonite · Veteran Member

I struggle with this too. Like Katy, I keep precut fruits and vegs in the frig to grab quickly instead of impulse eating. I know when I'm in HALT, I will tend to feel sorry for myself, I want a sugary or salty snack will fix that. I end up feeling worse physically and emotionally after. I try to save those choices for times when I'm feeling more balanced emotionally so I don't overindulge. Yogurt tends to be a better choice for me to satisfy a sweet tooth - plain fat free and add my own fruit. I add a teaspoon of honey to take away the bitterness of the plain yogurt. It's healthier than yogurts with artificial sweeteners. Lean protein like fish and non red meat sustains me much longer than eating carbs so I don't worry about what time of day it is when I make my food choices. Lean sliced turkey breast and some precut prewashed baby carrots can be a satisfying snack instead of popcorn at night and because of protein I feel full with less.

When I was carrying a full course load of sixteen plus credits a semester as well as having other responsibilities as an adult returning to school, I taught myself to step away from studying every two hours for at least fifteen minutes or so for a breather, a break and the chance to refocus, meditate. When I didn't, I became overwhelmed and moody.

My experience.... I put a lot of pressure on myself to get done with my degree early. I was in a race with the clock due to getting a divorce from my ah. I put on weight because of stress, didn't have healthy eating habits and truthfully hadn't done much program work on my insides. Back then, I was measuring my worth by what an active A thought of me. Thankfully, those days are long over. Sometimes we just need to cut ourselves some slack and just make some small changes where we are at and be satisfied with slow steady progress. I wished I'd had enough program back then to have accepted that and myself where I was at.

I'm in the process of losing weight now for the new year. The Alanon tools are there now to show me how to satisfy my spirit and my hunger. It not nearly as difficult as it was before. I just take it odaat and don't beat myself up if I don't do well. I'm not a number on a scale. I'm someone! It seems so easy to put on weight but it isn't quite as easy to take it off.

I hope you'll be gentle with yourself. Congratulations on your new life beginning and new learning experience with school. You're worth it. Hugs TT

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