Comfort and FOOD

My mother has been staying with us since her surgery on Friday last. It hasn't been bad but I am here to say that I have gained a much greater appreciation for anyone who works in a field that involves caregiving.

I can also say that I now know why it is a really good thing that I did not go into one of those fields.

Providing care and comfort to others is not an easy task. I might go as far to say that it's annoying. Bothersome. Tedious. And that's from the perspective of the care giver--(me- I doubt qualified folks feel the same way). I can only imagine how it is for the person in need.

Maybe that's why I used food as a means to comfort myself all these years. It's so much easier to just pop something in my mouth than to actually get up and take care of something or deal with a troubling issue.

I've gotten away from---what would you call it? Food abuse? Seriously. I'm not sure there's much difference between food abuse and drug abuse other than the object that is abused.

For me, that was food. And it hasn't been pretty. At all.

There were times when I would wake up in the middle of the night and go grab a bite (or five) of ice cream and go back to bed. If I was upset- I ate. Angry- I ate (this one was accompanied by some yelling, maybe). Sad- food to the rescue. Bored- eating took the edge off. Get the picture?  Not pretty.

The good news? It's over now.

If I'm upset---well, I don't really let myself get upset BUT, if I feel it coming on, I deep breathe. If I get angry, I might still yell (I really prefer to call this venting) but mostly, I write my anger out. If I get sad, I let Hubs or Tucker help or I write it out. If I get bored- I do something like knit or write, but I do not eat.

I've redirected my responses to my emotions.

Funny thing is, once I started letting others help or dealing with things in a more productive and constructive manner, the reliance on food disappeared. Also not appearing so frequently are the emotions themselves. I seem to have gotten them in check. Who knew?

Don't misunderstand. I still enjoy eating! It's just not my number one hobby anymore. It's not the one thing I turn to for comfort anymore.

The pay off? A healthier me? Yep. A more food savvy me? Yep. A calmer me? Oh yes indeed. A more energetic me? Definitely. A more...spirited me? Yessiree.

A word of warning to the lovelies, however. After this next 30 pounds is off, you might want to knock before you come in the house instead of using your keys...