Do you try to distract your pain with comfort food?

For those of you who know me, Milky Way candy bars are something that I absolutely crave...they have been my comfort food for years. I'm guilty of over eating them when I'm hurting...either physically or emotionally. Recently I have cut back on my consumption.

Wondering why especially the carbo type foods seem so comforting, I think there is a connection where carbos up our serotonin level. In the hopes of losing some weight, I've really cut back on the carbos and increased my protein.

I've been working on losing 20 lbs that I put on earlier this year....I guess I'm still blaming the weight gain on Prednisone that I was on for another condition. Walking is something I do on a regular basis, and I am watching what I am eating now.

My body feels as if I'm going through a withdrawal from chocolate. I have been dependant on it to help me with pain....oh and I love my potatoes, don't even get me started.

Just wondering if any of you had a difficult time giving up that certain comfort food and how did you get through it....oh and I drink enough water to float a boat...just can't find a replacement for my chocolate.

Hugs, Robin

 

Oh Robin...chocolate and potatoes.  I consume both of these every single day.  I actually crave chocolate and have sent the hubby to a gas station at midnight to buy me something.  Yes...carbs boost seratonin, or so I've read.  That's why so many of us gain weight when we're depressed.

Think I'll get me a big bowl of Chunky Monkey.  See what you started...LOL!

Huggies

Donna

Salt whatever. I love chips. I don't buy real chips, but baked tostitos. And when they are gone, they are gone. I do not buy tempting foods often, and since I live alone, can control that.

BF is on a low carb diet, gave up red meat and alcohol. Of course, we live in different cities, so his influence is slight. he has lost 55 pounds thus far,and I am really proud of him. I will say, for the record, that I really AM a card addict.

Just downloaded Livestrong lite for my new IPad. It tracks your calories and exercise and weight. A free app, which so far seems pretty user-friendly.

I lost 20 pounds in the spring, but put 10 back on the late summer and autumn.

Thanks for the replies :)

Maggie, eating a small amount of chocolate for me is like priming the pump,
I get a taste for it and I want more...on the weekend, I was allowing myself to have one fun size bar. Like you I also love Mounds bars...ooh did you ever have chocolate dipped macaroons...yummy.

Donna, you like the icecream too :) I love hot fudge sundaes...yum. I can totally relate to a midnight chocolate urge, with nothing but chocolate pudding mix...yep making pudding after midnight and eating right out of the mixing bowl.

Debbie, I can see how you stay so thin...I don't think I ever ate just a half of cookie ever! I'm sorry you have trouble with digestion though.
Oh, about the nutrition makeup of a fun size candy bar, 28 calories out of 81 are fat calories...there are 12.7 grams of carbos, not very nutricous

Myself 09, I love the salty stuff too, but really try to watch it...water retention. Good job losing the weight, I'm sure you will get those 10 lbs back off.

I met my hubby in the mid 70's and weighed 105...the numbers haven't changed...they are just in differant order 150. I feel good around 130. I was once 5'6 and do to shrinkage I'm about 5'4. The joys of getting older :0

Hugs, Robin

There are a few better choices out there that will make you feel better! Deprivation is just going to set you up to fail so let's not cut out chocolate altogether! :) But if you are having a sweet craving, try to find or have a better choice. Such as: peanut butter on toast, a piece of dark chocolate, a cup of hot chocolate, a frozen banana with dark chocolate on it, dark chocolate covered strawberries. They are healthier alternatives to candy bars! :)

Also, for the potato lovers......try the PURPLE potatoes or sweet potatoes. They have the most anti-inflammatory magic!

~Michelle

Almost, you are too healthy-lol..I guessat almost 60, I am having more trouble changing all my bad habits-too lengthy to list here.

mcsemel-welcome to the forum!! Glad to have a great sense of humor about all this fibro stuff...a good laugh IS the best remedy. Madge-haven't thought about her in decades-lol.

Michelle welcome to the forum too! Purple potatoes and anti inflammatory-good news

Robin I know a lil choc leads to moree for me...I was just saying the healthy thing(not that I can do that) my mom was a mounds girl, wonder if this is hereditary-lol-blame it on the genes!

Myself my other downfall is chips (real fried ones) with more salty chips or nachos covered in all sorts of stuff...how abour chili cheese fries!!

Y'all got me going now What a good thread!!

Have a good day-I go see new pain doc today-nervous!!

Maggie

Yeah, more like some donuts now-lol
Maggie

The funnything is...in the early 90's I was a weight consultant for a few years. I taught people how to lose weight in a healthy way using real food. I own a nutritional almanac and I really do know the correct way to eat.

My downfall has always been chocolate...it has always something I relied on through the tough times since I was a child. I never a problem being overweight...I always fell into the underweight category. The weight creeped higher as the chronic pain set in, even then my weight was always within the normal guidelines. Only in the past year have I really been considered overweight,by guideline standards.

I decided I'm going to eat healthy but allow myself some chocolate and keep it within a "healthy" limit. The stress of not having it is causing me more pain and in attempts of finding that chocolate satisfaction without real chocolate has stirred up my insomnia. One ounce of dark chocolate daily will be part of my routine. I'm determined I will lose these 20 lbs.

Thank you, my friends...you are wonderful!!!!

Hugs, Robin

I don't think fibro has anything to do with my comfort food cravings, though if I think about it hard enough I possibly crave sweet carbs more when I'm hurting. I was a chocoholic before I kicked a huge Diet Coke habit. Now I don't like the taste of any kind of soda or any drinks with Nutrasweet/Splenda/stevia in it and the chocolate cravings have really mostly disappeared. My last big downfall is bread carbs. I love love love muffins, bagels, garlicky breads or bread with cheeses on/in it. I could totally eat an entire Archer Farms asiago focaccia round in a day. Yum!

I have put on 1o lbs since fall started (on top of the other 5 that crept on over the summer). I just like to eat, and I like to cook. When I'm at home I make huge meals for my family, and at work I stuff my face with all kinds of fried foods. I don't crave the chocolate or chips so much, but bread, cheese, sauces, all the carbs and fats. A few weeks ago my teeth were hurting constantly, so I was always eating to try and get rid of that feeling.

When I was really good and watching what I ate, I used to love pineapple with a bit of chocolate sauce dip. I felt downright decadent yet still kept the calories down. You might enjoy that, Robin, to tame your chocolate craving.

I've started eating one ounce of dark chocolate a day and it has satisfied my craving.   Before that I was probably consuming more calories in search of my chocolate fix. I've been able to lose 5lbs in the last two weeks by cutting down portion sizes...eating lots of fresh fruit and green veggies, increasing my protein and cutting down on the bread. I love frozen grapes...yum and yogurt is my icecream.

Have a wonderful weekend

Hugs, Robin