Feeding My Food Addiction
Hello friends, thanks so much for stopping by. Today I am going to get a little serious here and talk about something that may sound silly, but is a true struggle for me. That is my food addiction. I tend to always jokingly say that I have an addiction to food, however, its not a joke... And its not even funny, its just my way of "coping" with the fact that I really have a problem! Honestly there has been a reason I have drastically cut down on the amount of weight loss posts and updates. I have let this problem start to really overcome me. I played it off like it wasn't a big deal, and just told myself "I work out - I deserve to eat what I want".
The problem with that (for me) is that I cant just indulge a little. Once the floodgates of food are open - I just wont stop. Its not that I "cant" stop - I just dont want to. I love food, I love to eat. Its more than comfort or emotional eating for me. I dont eat for those things... I eat because I love the taste, and when its good - I dont want that to stop - even when I feel full. Its ridiculous, I know. I am not quite sure when I decided this kind of thing was ok again for me. Its just slowly happened and then snow-balled - and now about a 1 year and 10 pounds gained later - here I am. Finally ready to admit this out loud, in a public place because I need that accountability.
I am putting myself on blast because accountability for me is HUGE. I reminded myself that while I constantly posted about my weight loss journey here - I was constantly doing better and better. Once I stopped holding myself accountable, and also stopped getting that encouragement from those of you who cheered me on - I ended up backsliding in "secret". So here I am - Coming clean in my weight loss journey! It almost feels like starting again in a way. And I hope I can get that encouragement, support and accountability I once had before!
With all that being said, I thought that today I would share with you some of the better more "healthier" foods I can enjoy without as much guilt. SO I can still in a sense feed my food addiction without the regret. Sure I know some of these may not be super healthy - in comparison to just fruit and veggies. But lets get real here friends! I can easily sit here and write that all I eat or will eat is fruits and veggies and that's all! Have we not seen those kind of posts and with a heavy sigh think "right... I knew that... I thought they were gonna share something GOOD." haha Am I right!? I mean, we all want a little bit of the good stuff. Something LIKE junk food - but thats not going to set us back. Right? SO I am being honest here... Not all of this is super perfect healthy food. But its a start again - for me at least. And maybe for you too.
The problem with that (for me) is that I cant just indulge a little. Once the floodgates of food are open - I just wont stop. Its not that I "cant" stop - I just dont want to. I love food, I love to eat. Its more than comfort or emotional eating for me. I dont eat for those things... I eat because I love the taste, and when its good - I dont want that to stop - even when I feel full. Its ridiculous, I know. I am not quite sure when I decided this kind of thing was ok again for me. Its just slowly happened and then snow-balled - and now about a 1 year and 10 pounds gained later - here I am. Finally ready to admit this out loud, in a public place because I need that accountability.
I am putting myself on blast because accountability for me is HUGE. I reminded myself that while I constantly posted about my weight loss journey here - I was constantly doing better and better. Once I stopped holding myself accountable, and also stopped getting that encouragement from those of you who cheered me on - I ended up backsliding in "secret". So here I am - Coming clean in my weight loss journey! It almost feels like starting again in a way. And I hope I can get that encouragement, support and accountability I once had before!
With all that being said, I thought that today I would share with you some of the better more "healthier" foods I can enjoy without as much guilt. SO I can still in a sense feed my food addiction without the regret. Sure I know some of these may not be super healthy - in comparison to just fruit and veggies. But lets get real here friends! I can easily sit here and write that all I eat or will eat is fruits and veggies and that's all! Have we not seen those kind of posts and with a heavy sigh think "right... I knew that... I thought they were gonna share something GOOD." haha Am I right!? I mean, we all want a little bit of the good stuff. Something LIKE junk food - but thats not going to set us back. Right? SO I am being honest here... Not all of this is super perfect healthy food. But its a start again - for me at least. And maybe for you too.
As an extra note to that - its not that I dont also eat fruits and veggies - I do - a lot! And I love them, truly I do. But this is just some of the kind of "healthy" junk food I like to eat along with fruits and veggies. Which again, is something we all know is the best and healthiest option!
<- Check me out with my giant bowl of salad - haha - my sister thought it was funny the bowl was as big as my head and had to get this pic!
Now pictured above are just a few things I have found that I am loving to eat when I want to feed the cravings - there is a lot more (that we were just out of) - Like trail mix, graham-crackers, avacodos, cucumbers and sugar free almond milk. But you get the idea.
- Rice Cakes
I remember when I was a kid and tried (plain) rice cakes for the first time. I took one bite and could barely swallow it. It tasted like cardboard to me. YUCK! But now I LOVE them! Did you know they came is MANY different flavors - sweet and salty alike!? Caramel, Apple Cinnamon, CHOCOLATE! And then cheese, sour cream & onion, buttered popcorn... Its wonderful! And most of these are only 50-60 calories for a rice cake. SO I like to have one of two of these when I am craving a cookie, or chips!
- PB2 & PB2 with chocolate
This is powdered peanut butter. You can mix it with water to make yourself peanutbutter thats only 45 calories per serving. Which is a HUGE difference compared to regular peanut butter that is 200 cals per serving. This stuff is a life saver for me, because I LOVE peanut butter... I can (and do at times) eat it by the spoonful. PB2 is nice because you dont have to mix it to creamy peanut butter - you can use it as a topping or to add some flavor for your foods. I do that all the time! I like to add a teaspoon to my oatmeal for breakfast, or mix it as part of a protein shake! SO yummy.
- Granola & Greek Yogurt
I love having granola and adding it to cereal or yogurt to give me a boost of flavor and protein and help keep me full longer! My favorite it to add it to greek yogurt. And I have to tell you that this specific brand of greek yogurt is my absolute favorite! Only 80 calories (most of the others have 100) and then all kinds of yummy flavors to choose from! Not only is this snack a delicious treat for me - it also really does help to keep me full longer without a lot of calories.
BTW did you know you can search the hashtag #whatmariaeats on IG to see more photos of what I eat on the regular?
Next Up - some fruit! haha
-Apples are my go to fruit these days. Especially green apples (I am not a fan of reds). They are quick and easy to eat, clean and travel well. I always try to stick an apple in my bag when I know I will be out long, and want to make a good food choice if I get hungry.
- Grape Tomatoes
I am not sure why, but I prefer these little guys to full tomatoes and even cherry tomatoes. I always stock up on them with about 4 cartons in my fridge. They just make a quick yummy snack for me. My favorite is to cut them up along with a cucumber, avocado and even some peppersoncini's for a boost of spice and flavor! This yummy little salad mixture is not only tasty but very filling!
- Pepperoncinis
Ok I am OBSESSED with these pickled peppers that are super low in calories! They are spicy without being too hot/spicy and make just about every dish better! They really pack a punch of flavor and texture to your food. And I have found myself adding these instead of additional seasonings like salt/pepper.
Lastly I wanted to give this product a mention even though it is not a food, because it has been helping a lot lately with my cravings and desires to eat when I am not really hungry! This is a product that was sent to me for free to review, and I will also be paid for this mention. However I do not get any additional money if you click the link or make a purchase. All thoughts are my own honest opinions and true results.
- SuppressMints
SuppressMint® is a dot-sized, long-lasting (3-hour) slow-dissolve time-release peppermint-flavored micro-tab that is fortified with the proven dietary supplement and appetite suppressant Chromax® (chromium picolinate). Chromium picolinate, the active ingredient in SuppressMint is a safe, proven and highly effective mineral with 20 years of research behind it. It helps reduce cravings for foods high in sugar and fat (refined carbohydrates and saturated fats) while it helps stabilize blood sugar (glucose levels) and calm anxiety and stabilize emotions.
As the tiny, pleasant tasting SuppressMint dot rests comfortably and undetectably in your mouth for its three hour slow-melt duration, it works on four levels to help you curb your cravings for high glycimic foods:
(1) Provides a sense of oral gratification for three hours. You don't feel the emotional need to eat while it's in your mouth.
(2) The peppermint extract works directly on your brain's appetite control center to help reduce cravings.
(3) The chromium picolinate also helps sooth cravings by interacting with the brain's "appestat," reduces blood sugar levels so you burn more fat for energy instead of sugar and enhances positive mood states.
(4) Most people who diet develop metallic smelling breath caused by ketosis. SuppressMint keeps your breath fresh and your mouth moist for its three hour, slow-melt duration.
Ok I am OBSESSED with these pickled peppers that are super low in calories! They are spicy without being too hot/spicy and make just about every dish better! They really pack a punch of flavor and texture to your food. And I have found myself adding these instead of additional seasonings like salt/pepper.
Lastly I wanted to give this product a mention even though it is not a food, because it has been helping a lot lately with my cravings and desires to eat when I am not really hungry! This is a product that was sent to me for free to review, and I will also be paid for this mention. However I do not get any additional money if you click the link or make a purchase. All thoughts are my own honest opinions and true results.
- SuppressMints
SuppressMint® is a dot-sized, long-lasting (3-hour) slow-dissolve time-release peppermint-flavored micro-tab that is fortified with the proven dietary supplement and appetite suppressant Chromax® (chromium picolinate). Chromium picolinate, the active ingredient in SuppressMint is a safe, proven and highly effective mineral with 20 years of research behind it. It helps reduce cravings for foods high in sugar and fat (refined carbohydrates and saturated fats) while it helps stabilize blood sugar (glucose levels) and calm anxiety and stabilize emotions.
As the tiny, pleasant tasting SuppressMint dot rests comfortably and undetectably in your mouth for its three hour slow-melt duration, it works on four levels to help you curb your cravings for high glycimic foods:
(1) Provides a sense of oral gratification for three hours. You don't feel the emotional need to eat while it's in your mouth.
(2) The peppermint extract works directly on your brain's appetite control center to help reduce cravings.
(3) The chromium picolinate also helps sooth cravings by interacting with the brain's "appestat," reduces blood sugar levels so you burn more fat for energy instead of sugar and enhances positive mood states.
(4) Most people who diet develop metallic smelling breath caused by ketosis. SuppressMint keeps your breath fresh and your mouth moist for its three hour, slow-melt duration.
This is a product that I was super skeptical about. I had a hard time believing something could truly take away my cravings and desire to eat... But it did! I was truly surprised by how well they work. There were a few times when I had just finished eating, was full and yet I still had a desire to eat. My stomach would grumble and I couldn't stop thinking about food. SO I'd take a SuppressMint. The first time I took one, I thought to myself "there is no way this is going to take away my cravings or take my mind off wanting to eat." Yet the next thing I know, without even realizing it, I had completely lost the cravings. Its kind of hard to explain what I mean when I say that. All I can say is that they work for me. And I'm thankful. It helps with my food addiction. Helps me to not go back to the kitchen and continue to eat when I dont need to. Helps me to focus on other things aside from eating or food. I also love that it comes with two travel containers that I can easily keep in my purse while I am out and about. ♥
Alright friends thank you so much for sticking with me through all this. As I mentioned - I really need and, more than anything, appreciate your support and encouragement through my continued weight loss journey. Thank you so much! I hope you found this post encouraging and helpful if you too are on a weight loss journey. One thing to keep in mind - that I have to constantly remind myself - is that we are not perfect. We will fail, backslide, plateau, and just plain have a bad day-or week! But its ok, as long as we get back up and keep on going. We (I) must be honest with ourselves and others in our struggles to get the help (or push) we need to keep moving forward.
Much Love & Hugs,
Alright friends thank you so much for sticking with me through all this. As I mentioned - I really need and, more than anything, appreciate your support and encouragement through my continued weight loss journey. Thank you so much! I hope you found this post encouraging and helpful if you too are on a weight loss journey. One thing to keep in mind - that I have to constantly remind myself - is that we are not perfect. We will fail, backslide, plateau, and just plain have a bad day-or week! But its ok, as long as we get back up and keep on going. We (I) must be honest with ourselves and others in our struggles to get the help (or push) we need to keep moving forward.
Much Love & Hugs,
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