Emotional eating

Or just eating in general... Tends to be my biggest downfall. I love food. I was raised with food. Everything we did it seemed to be centered on food. We're getting together for (insert event), what should we make?

Food and I have been BFFs for a really long time. Actually, after thinking about that, I don't think we ever were BFFs. I abused our relationship. I wanted to blame it for not treating me the way friends treat each other, but I asked way too much from food. It was there to give me nourishment and strength. I wanted that nourishment, but I also wanted it to love me unconditionally, fill the gaping holes, be my friend when I didn't think I had any, spend time with me when I was alone, and everything else you shouldn't expect from inanimate objects.

Less than a year ago, some of my Friday nights consisted of a frozen pizza and a pint of B&Js. I would consider it a good night if there was a piece or two leftover. Extra ice cream? ha!
quick calculation
1 pint of Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
1400 Calories
96 g fat 52 g saturated
240mg cholesterol
100 g sugar
24 g protein

1 DiGorno Cheese Stuffed Crust Pepperoni Pizza (in case I ate the whole thing)
1900 Calories
80 g fat 40 sat fat
200 mg cholesterol
5200 mg sodium (that's more than double your daily allotment)
200 g carbohydrate
95 g protein

Wow - I am officially sick to my stomach. I am in no way perfect with eating healthy. I make bad choices all the time. I snack here and there. I lose count of how many crackers I've eaten. I don't measure the exact amount of this and that. But every good change that I make brings me that much closer to having more control. Anyway. My point with this is that we need to take control of the relationship that we have with food. We need to use it for what it is intended. I'm making progress, but I still have a long way to go. I can't have treats in the house or else I'll eat them all in one sitting. We have candy jars all over the office and it's hard for me to pass them by every day. If I only make one trip instead of 4 I consider that a good day. Eventually I'm hoping to get to the point where they don't tempt me at all.

If I have a bad day now I take it out on the (insert machine at gym). If I'm still having a bad day, I make an amazing playlist on iTunes. If that doesn't work and I end up slipping, then I slip and I get back up the next day and work that much harder. At least I'm working on that part. I hope that helps. We can do it. We can change our eating habits. Our bodies will love us more. We can find new cravings with healthy foods. We can find new stress relievers. We can have a balanced, good for us, non-abusive relationship with food, the way that it was intended to be.