It's amazing how so many of us share the same struggle with emotional eating.
I was just reflecting on this since my DH just had surgery 6 days ago. Too much candy in those hospital vending machines! Of course I could have headed for the wonderful cafeteria for my 8 meals there---lots of healthy choices.
The first two blogs I read today both had to do with emotional eating. Here's my response to one of the blogs, which I thought I could expand into my own plan of action.
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"Emotional eating is so tough---I do the same as you. Eat very well, lose some weight. Have a stressful situation in my life, eat too much chocolate, gain it all back. I think I've "lost" enough weight in my life to only weigh 2 pounds (if I don't count the pounds that creep back.)
I like your goal of trying to have a streak of days which you string together with no emotional eating. I've thought of starting something similar. (My DH just had surgery, so I'm climbing back out of another stressful hole.)
My plan is similar to yours:
Keep track of how many days I eat healthy (no sodas, no junk). Then on days where I DO have something, try to keep it under control.
So my chart may look like this
Day 1-4 GREAT!! YAY ME!!
Day 5 1 chocolate bar 150, 1 small cookie---total: 250 calories (hopefully that's all!!!)
Day 6-8 GREAT!! YAY ME!!
If I lay it all out in black and white, maybe taped to my wall in my home office, I can limit the damage. I don't mind small planned snacks occasionally. It's the days with 600--900 calories worth of junk that are doing me in. If I see it in black and white how often I go off track, I think that will kick me into action.
Best of luck to you. Okay…..I'm making my chart now."
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Since writing that reply, I've made the chart and it's hanging on the wall to the left of my computer where I'll see it a lot.
I do track food on SP, but this is a chart where I try to string together a number of "healthy" days, and try to limit the damage on the other days. Seeing it in black and white will be good for me.