h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Boredom eating and comfort eating are the two most difficult things to over come in my new lifestyle.

I still eat when I am bored, but these days I just don't have unhealthy food in the house - I make sure there is a variety of fruit to nibble at - anything small that takes time to get through is good, cherries are favourite at this time of year.

Comfort eating is totally different. When I get a setback in life, or a bad day at work it is really easy to slip into old habits and reach for the Haagen Daaz, or the crisps, or the buiscuits, or anything substantial and fatty that really sticks to the ribs. It is the 'Oh s*d it' mentality that is so hard to fight against, the 'I might as well, everything else is cr*p' feeling.

Again, because I don't have anything in the house it is an effort to go and purchase comfort food, and I do my best to make it difficult for myself, but I can always get a pizza delivered, or vast amounts of chinese food. Bad days are made worse by the struggle 'to be good' but I am glad when I succeed, and feel worse if I fail - that used to lead to a bit of a spiral for me but not so much anymore.

If I ever have kids, I will never, NEVER use food to bribe them or keep them quiet (easy to say now when I don't have any right? ) so they don't develop that link in their heads that food = happiness.

k

Good point about this type of association developing from a young age Kelli.
I think you could well be right. If a child is constantly given 'naughty' foods as a reward or a bribe, they will soon associate these foods with being 'good', and find comfort in them in later life.

I don't think the answer is not to give your kid any sweets, which seems to have been the trend in recent years, this just makes kids jealous when they see all their mates eating sweets and encourages them to binge eat sweets when they do get hold of them.

It's hard, but I try to keep it balanced with my kids. Letting them have occasional sweets, and not making any big deal out of it. It seems to be paying off as given the choice of sweets or fruit, my son almost always goes for fruit.
Kids, like adults often only want what they can't have. Which is why diets must be so hard. That's why it makes sense to include some treats in your diet, so you don't feel so deprived of them and crave them more.

I hope some of that makes sense.

Thank you all very much for your views - as you know from the Talking Point we are currently making a programme on Food for Comfort. I'd like to hear from anyone who'd be interested in being on television and who is passionate about comfort food (which can be a fun and indeed 'comforting' thing as long as you don't over do it.....)

You can get in touch with me by email - [email protected], and I'll get back to you as soon as I can (which is Monday 12th August because I'm about to go on holiday!)

Best wishes

Emma Parkins
The Nation's Favourite Food
BBC Factual and Learning
[email protected]

My Mum used to meet me from school with a sticky bun for me to eat on the way home. Years later I worked out that it was her way of saying (as kindly as she possibly could):
'yes, you probably had a s***y day but believe me, mine was worse and I don't need your problems added to it!'

Fortunately, they don't have those sticky buns any more...

But it does create the habit without a doubt.

Only when I was well into my twenties did I hear the term "comfort eating" coined - and with clearly negative associations. We were all to be disgusted with ourselves if we turned to sweet, fatty or starchy foods at times of stress, and to immediately start on programmes to deal with those urges.
Now, I'm reading that the notion that "comfort eating is wrong" is itself wrong! And that this idea has caused more eating disorders than "comfort eating" ever did.
While I fully understand anyone's need or desire to rethink their eating habits for the sake of their health, I feel that we have forgotten that eating is, or should be, a pleasurable activity as well as an activity of basic human need.
As for the experts - they seem unable to agree on the carbs/no carbs debate, so why should we follow their guidance on anything else?

Speff.

I haven't forgotten that eating is a pleasure, but you can have too much of a good thing.

With diets the best thing is to ignore the experts anyway, or rather only pay attention to the ones that advocate balance - a little bit of what you fancy does you good, but the whole tub of ice cream will make you fat and unhealthy if taken too regularly.

k

I should have said as well, Kelli, congrats and well done on losing 48 pounds. My friend Helen lost 128 pounds in a year on a "low carbs" diet when a nutrionist finally clicked on that Helen's brain chemistry wasn't responding with the "full" sign to starchy foods. This meant that she had to give up beer - hence my admiration for anyone, like Helen and yourself, who sticks with it.

Thanks It's hard work but I'm getting there...

Well done to Helen, 128 lbs is incredible! I'm trying lowish carbs too, but it is hard because mashed potato is my favourite thing in the world, followed by spicy rice and noodles. Don't want to go for full-on low carb diet because it isn't good to make your body think you are starving, am just cutting down a lot.

I don't deny myself too much though - as I said, a little bit of what you fancy does you good!

(although am also off the beer - I get more booze for my calories with wine )

k