emotional eating....and pass the Doritos...

You know what I'm talking about, don't ya? Crappy day, everything weighing on you (no pun intended) and you're looking for a little bit of happiness....Sometimes, your emotions will convince you that you'll find that happiness at the bottom of an empty bag of Doritos.....

Not true. But it's more common than we realize. Ever been angry or upset one minute and then on your couch eating the next, unable to remember why you started eating or how long you had spent munching? If so, then you have entered the world of emotional eating.

Emotional eating at its best passes after a few minutes. At its worst, it can take over your life and cause you to eat uncontrollably for extended periods of time. And according to nutritional experts, 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. So don't worry, if you suffer from emotional eating, you are not alone.

I've had some stress this weekend...probably the same crap that happens in your house. Fighting kids, husband working late, no one emptied the dishwasher, my jeans won't zip......the list is truly endless....While I was pacing in my kitchen, after unloading the stupid dishwasher, I found myself just opening up cabinets and seeing what was there...

I was about to engage in emotional eating...BIG TIME...Because you know what I found? Doritos....they are my Kryptonite. Just popping open that bag and smelling that processed, chemical-laden fake cheese smell makes my mouth water (seriously, I'm drooling while typing this, 2 days after it happened......sheesh!)

But my health angel that lives in my head was SCREAMING, "Don't do it, CHW!!" So I resisted. It felt good resisting. But I am so weak that I had to take those damn Doritos out to the big stinky trashcan so I wouldn't be tempted again....

What's your trigger....? Anything is my trigger. Traffic...? Pull into Wendy's for some fries. Husband working late? Ice Cream while watching DVR'ed "Grey's Anatomy"....Kids arguing..? Just eat anything to make it stop.

But then at the end of that, I feel like puking. Really. Then I get a headache and ponder why I sabotage my efforts. This weekend, I resisted. But let's face it: I am weak. And often pathetic. I knew that it was only a matter of time before I buckle, so I gave myself an "out". Offering myself an alternative, like that Breyer's Fat Free Chocolate Brownie ice cream. It's 110 for 1/2 cup. I can make a 1/2 cup serving last a LONG damn time. So I decided I'm going to allow myself to have one ice cream nice each week...and you know what happened? When I gave myself permission, it lost its allure.

I am a woman. And I am a walking emotion....This is true.
Doritos are evil, this is also true.....well, that's not true. I'm just weak.

Also, the "experts" say that when you're struck with a craving or an emotional-eating crisis, that you should drink a glass of water. Really.....? I do that anyway, but nothing will remove the Doritos jones with an ice cream chaser........