Eating Crap and Exhaustion Topic

Moodyunicorn 05/11/18
Whenever I eat junk, I always end up getting so tired. It’s so hard to understand as well, why I keep going back to the same food when it makes me feel so gross. Does anyone have the same trouble? What do you do? Thank you for your help!

Tianna1 05/11/18
Whenever I crave junk food I have a glass or two of water and if I’m still craving junk food I try to eat something healthy instead

Dietician 05/12/18 replied to Moodyunicorn
Hello Moddyunicorn- Nice work on reaching out and asking for help. It is common to crave high sugar and high fat snack foods. Manufacturers actually design these foods with the intention of getting us hooked so we will buy more! You have raised such an important question, as getting a hold of snacking/making healthier food choices can really support weight loss and long term health. Here are a few resources that might help you:
https://www.mynetdiary.com/blog/Cravings-Weight-Loss_207-201.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/blog/Emotional-Mindful-Eating-Weight-Loss_208-201.html
Resources:
Book: Outsmarting Overeating by Karen Koenig
App: Eat Right Now (mindful eating)
Let us know if other questions remain. Best, Joanna (Dietician)

Carrie_32_88 06/14/18
Yes it happens when I get extremely busy and go off of track, which usually happens when I don’t have time to prepare proper foods that are better for me in the sense of also combating those cravings that sneak up at these less than opportune times! You are not alone, and I think the key is to be mindful of this and make the mind over to “be selfish enough to keep proper nutrition as a Must Do on the list” which is where I usually fall victim to letting the unexpected throw me off coarse.

Healthy eating and timely eating as well as rest matter!

Carrie_32_88 06/14/18
P.S. Another harsh reality is that those in our homes more often than not aren’t going to be eating the same things we are, at least in our home it’s myself who is more concerned and in need of healthy eating, so I am around tempting junk frequently.

Dietician 06/14/18
Hi Carrie, Moodyunicorn, and all,


We all overeat junk food at one time or another. Here's a suggestion that works for a lot of people. After you eat junky food, pay attention to how you feel, both physically and emotionally. Writing it down really helps to sort through it. Try not to feel guilty, just observe how you feel. I like the idea of pretending you are a fly on the wall watching it happen. It makes you act more as an observer. Are you bloated, thirsty, are your teeth feeling gross, sleepy, less sharp? Did you even enjoy it and taste it or did you just go through the motions? Many times when we eat sweets or salty foods, it is to satisfy a non-food emotion. For me, crunching on something usually means I am frustrated with something. Guess what, the problem is still there after we eat. Make a list of other ways you can deal with emotions so you can go to the list and do something else rather than eat.


Another strategy that really helps is to portion the junk food out so at least you are eating a reasonable amount and not just mindlessly eating out of the bag or box. Before you know it, you are at the bottom! Yikes!


We all develop habits, both healthy and unhealthy, but good news is we can build new ones if we try!


Hope this is helpful!

Brenda (Dietitian)

Eating Crap and Exhaustion