Confessions of an angry eater: comfort food and why we crumble

~ eaton24 ~ Leave a comment

A good friend recently reminded me of a time when we would sneak off to MacDonald’s after a bad day, order a big mac meal (usually large), have a good old moan and gorge on the terrible, terrible excuse for food that is Maccy d’s. We coined this as an ‘angry eating sesh’. It became a bit of a problem.

However, we weaned ourselves off, joined the gym, and you’ll be pleased to know that neither of us were hurt or became clinically obese in the process (my nameless friend is also now a fellow faster and doing extremely well).

This led me to think about the concept of ‘comfort food’ and why we turn to food when life gets a bit shit (sorry- no other language choice would fit the bill here).

Apparently the fatty acids in certain foods function as a mood enhancer, which would explain the cravings for comfort food when we feel low. More recent studies however, have claimed to disprove this, meaning that the whole concept of ‘comfort food’ is potentially a bit of a deception. It’s difficult to know how comfort food really affects our emotions but it’s likely that our attitudes towards it will stay the same as long as the very name ‘comfort food’ exists. It is one of the many justifications we use when we slip-up, and as long as we are human, we will slip up.

I am definitely guilty of turning to food after a bad day. This week I crumbled. I momentarily fell off the 5:2 wagon. My justification is that ‘it’s Christmas’.

Yes I’m disappointed in myself, but I’m still a firm believer that everything in moderation is key. This is essentially what intermittent fasting is all about. Comfort food shouldn’t be too harmful as long as portion control is adhered to. I’ll be back to the fasting days in a week, but in the meantime I intend to eat, drink and be very very merry.

The mince pies are everywhere and I can’t get out: A brief survival guide for festive fasting

~ eaton24 ~ 3 Comments

Fasting days at the moment seem to be a little more torturous than normal. I’m putting this down to the season of ‘merriment’. With mince pies in the cupboard along with cheese, pate and all sorts of other goodies, events such as Christmas ‘lights on’ festivals and pubs with open fires beckon and tempt us with the promise of mulled wine and comfort food make fasting days tougher than ever. In fact everyone in the office today is a walking, talking mince pie..

As I’m not really a big breakfaster on a normal day I find the fasting days more of a challenge in the evenings. Hot soup at lunch generally keeps the hunger gremlins at bay until about 1700 hours at which point I HAVE TO EAT SOMETHING NOW! Or somebody gets hurt.

I’ve come up with a little routine which helps me curb the temptation during cold wintery evenings:

  1. Eat something– Protein is good if you have enough calories to play with. The other night I had roast trout fillet on a bed of spinach leaf and plum tomato salad, a little feta and olives and a lemon and dill dressing. I didn’t go to bed hungry- which is always the aim.
  2. Avoid the TV– at this time of year the adverts alone are enough to make me want to break a fast. I have been known to uncontrollably shout ‘I WANT CHOCOLATE BAUBLES’ at the telly in response the one of this year’s supermarket advertising delights. You know the one.
  3. Read a book– It’s always good to stay distracted. At the moment I like to indulge in a trashy Christmas novel (a guilty pleasure). Alternatives if you’re not the bookish type are: magazines, newspapers or doing a spot of online Christmas shopping for an extra sense of accomplishment!
  4. Peppermint tea– Mint is apparently an appetite suppressant. It could be the placebo effect of course, and it isn’t quite the same as having a proper brew (white, one sugar) but it seems to work for me.
  5. Have a bath– This is probably my favourite part of the fasting day evening (or close second after the bit that involves eating). I’ll play my favourite new itunes purchase and wallow in bubbles and self pity. It’s blissful.

5 things I’ve learned from 5 months of the fasting diet

~ eaton24 ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been doing the intermittent fasting diet since July- a total of just over 5 months. For those that don’t know- this means 2 days per week of reducing calorie intake to 500 per day. Here’s a rather self-indulgent little review in the form of 5 key things I’ve learned from the experience.

#1 Food is really pretty awesome isn’t it?

It’s about discipline. Having the self-control to forgo the office biscuit stash when it does the rounds, means that yes, I am thinking about a large slice of chocolate and caramel tart by the end of the day. However, when tomorrow comes and I’m no longer worrying about calorie counting, I will be partaking in said chocolate caramel tart. I might even have it for breakfast. Most importantly it will taste AMAZING because I’ve realised that food is awesome.

#2 Going to the gym on a fasting day is a very silly idea

On one miserable fasting Monday I went to the gym after work. Monday is the day that the local Henley-on-Thames sprogs have their after-school swimming lessons, before crowding into the showers. I think I’d probably managed to burn more calories than I had consumed on that day and was therefore dizzy and shaking. The aforementioned sprogs VERY nearly witnessed a naked woman collapsing in the middle of the shower alley. Potentially a scarring situation for everyone involved. Enough said.

#3 Eat sushi

Sushi is my little lunchtime survival kit. It’s low calorie and it tastes awesome, especially with wasabi, and it is filling. I highly recommend the Shapers range at Boots, which are normally under 200 calories.

#4 Trying to do 2 fasting days in a row is also a very silly idea

This week I tried to do 2 fasting days in a row. By the end of the second day my blood sugar levels were horrifically low and I was utterly incapable of human interaction. My loving boyfriend had to put me into solitary confinement because everybody looked like steak.

#5 Don’t step on the scales every day

The 5:2 isn’t just about weight loss. When I first started fasting I weighed myself every day. Having a little internal celebration when I stood on the scales one morning, followed by a funeral the next, is not so fun. I’ve found that a weekly weight-check gives a much better indication of progress.