Monday, April 14, 2014

4/14... Cure for Junk Food


Total Daily Calories:  1663
     Day 92 …                                                                     Days till Weigh-In:   23





My biggest problem with food has always been its comfort value. Plain and simple, I love junk food. Cheeseburgers, fries, pizza, cookies, cake, ice cream, etc. You get the idea. When I’m stressed, food makes me feel better. When I’m happy it makes me feel happier. The fact is, we humans all eat for comfort sometimes. The problem is for some this type of eating quickly becomes a habit that can lead to significant weight gain. If I had to attribute one type of eating to my extreme weight gain it would definitely be comfort / junk foods. And like any other habit, breaking it takes determination and patience.

Why do I eat junk food?                  

  • Biology. When we’re stressed out, our bodies are flooded with cortisol, a stress hormone, which makes us crave carbohydrates, sugar and fatty foods. 
  • Convenience. We like vending machines at work, food trucks, fast food restaurants and of course we usually keep some form of snack food at home at all times...
  • Boredom. We eat when we’re not busy. Snacking while watching TV is a perfect example
  • Good Vibrations. We don’t just eat when we’re stressed out; we also do it when we’re happy and excited. We humans are so darn complicated!                              

Let’s Stop Emotional Eating

Step One: Be Aware.
Most emotional eating is so unconscious that it happens automatically. Before trying to fix this behavior it’s a good idea to keep a journal. Writing down where and when we stress eat allows us to identify patterns i.e. late night snacking, munching while watching TV, mid-afternoons candy bars, etc.

Step Two: Replace.
If we remove stressful eating, we must replace it. Write down a few healthy, non-calorie related activities that can provide a quick ‘pick-me-up’ on a tough day. Here are a few examples:

  • Sip black tea. A study in the journal of Psychopharmacology found that subjects who drank black tea experienced a 47% drop in their cortisol levels, the stress hormone that makes you crave food, compared to 27% among the subjects who drank a placebo.
  • Choose a healthy activity: Mindless eating soothes raw nerves by numbing out emotions.  Instead, we should actively choose a healthy way to clear our mind. Try a quick breathing exercise (I mention this a lot because it really works). Slowing down our breathing can trick our body into thinking we’re going to sleep, which in turn relaxes us. Just close your eyes. Stare at the blackness of your eyelids. Slowly breathe in and out. Count each time you inhale and exhale. Continue until you get to 10.
  • Communicate: Talk with a friend – make a call or even type up an email, this is a very healthy distraction.
  • Window shop on-line. Unless you happen to be walking past the local mall at the time, doing a quick on-line window shop can nicely occupy your time until the feelings pass
  • Eat Healthy Snacks. Choose fruits, nuts, yogurt, make a delicious smoothie, have some cheese and crackers, make healthier choices

This may all sound very easy but I know it’s not. Retraining our behavior takes a little time and patience. But I know it’s worth it. I’m worth it.  J

 
Personal Question
How well do you know your kidneys? I scored 60% (6 out of 10). Take the quiz and see how well you know yours. I learned a couple things, you may also… 

     http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/rm-quiz-kidneys?

 
 Daily Calorie Tracker    
[42]                       Monday  4/14/14                   1800 Calories
Time Qty Food Item Calories Sub
  Breakfast      
  2 Scrambled Eggs, Crispy bacon, Am Cheese on kaiser roll 700  
  1 Coffee 60  
         
                              Breakfast Calories: 760  
  Snack      
  1 Hazelnut Coffee 60  
                             Snack Calories: 60  
  Lunch      
  3oz Organic White Meat Chicken Breast - Grilled Teriyaki Honey  220  
  3/4c Brown Rice & Pink Beans 293  
  1 Bowl Organic Mixed Greens 0  
                            Lunch Calories: 513 1333
  Snack      
  1 McIntosh Apple 60  
  Bag Sliced Fresh carrots 30  
                        Snack Calories: 90 1423
  Dinner      
  1c Cruncy Raisin Bran 190  
  3/4c Skim Plus 80  
  1 Bowl Organic Mixed Greens 0  
                      Dinner Calories:    
  Snack   270  
  1 Hazelnut Crème Coffee 60 1753
                      Snack Calories: 60  
            Total Calories Burned: <90>  
                                          Total: 1663
√
                   ***Daily Caloric Goal: 1800  
Water (1 cup per circle)    
O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O   O  O  O    13  
1 cup = 8 fluid oz = 0.24 liters    
Time    Activity   Burned  
45 min Walking <90>  
         
    <90>  
*Calorie/Activity calculation:  10  Calories for every 5 minutes (depending on exertion)
     
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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