Comfort Foods , How Can We Avoid Eating Them Always?

We all have our comfort foods or convenience foods. Some have them in burger, fries and soda. I am one of them actually. I always would go to a fast food to eat them.
Some have chocolates, cakes, and ice cream. They are all laden with fats as well as cholesterol and are bad for our bodies and health. We know them to be bad for us, but deny ourselves that fact and give in to our cravings for these comfort foods.
Though, when we have eaten them, we feel happy and comforted, that’s why it is called comfort foods after all.
However, they can make us fat and we don’t like that. Especially when the fat goes to our tummy and the love handles. They spill over when we wear our low waist pants and t-shirts.
So, I would like to share what I have read from the book, the picture of which is posted herewith. It’s up to you if you will follow these or not.
Here goes;
 We must first understand what makes us eat those comfort foods. Understand what are those emotional aspects that make us go to these comfort foods. It would be better that we turn these unhealthy comfort foods into healthier ones instead if it is unavoidable to have them whenever we are not feeling happy.

The following are the suggested strategies;
1. Don’t stock foods that are high in calories, because the tendency is to eat them when you are feeling unhappy or depressed. An example is an air-popped popcorn, which has fewer calories than ice-cream, cake or a pack of cookies.
2. Introduce new “comfort foods “ or convenience foods instead. Stock them up on your refrigerator, like pre-cut fruits, examples are a bowl of sliced peaches, pears, apples,mango, pineapple and citrus fruits. The chances are when you feel like eating and open the refrigerator, you will see them and eat them instead.
3. Eat every 4 hours.
Do not skip breakfast and lunch. Doing that would make you eat voraciously when hunger finally catches up with you. The solution is to eat the right foods at the right time. Eat a breakfast that is protein packed. Examples are skim milk, yogurt or cottage cheese. In addition, are grains like oatmeal, wheat bread or high fiber cereals. Lastly, add a fruit to your breakfast to complete it.
See to it that you eat lunch 4 hours after. That way, you will avoid eating voraciously. Have foods that are at least in the 3 food groups; protein, grains, fruits and vegetables. It was also said that it is nice to also have the healthy fats foods like avocado, peanut butter to name two. These healthy fats can help lower cholesterol and will help you feel satisfied.
In between those meals when you feel hungry you can snack on fruits, low-fat yogurt and low wheat crackers.
4. Busy yourself with your hands
Have something that can occupy your hands, like a craft, gardening or playing a game on the computer or tablet. That way, you will not be bored and eat to cure the boredom.
5. Give yourself 5-10 minutes before the first bite of that convenience foods. You have to think if eating a candy bar, can just be instead sipping coffee which is far lesser calorie.
6. Eat less before and after an occasion wherein you will have the chance of eating more, like those parties.

Another thing that I may add in my own opinion, is to always take a look at yourself in the mirror and see if you still like the way you look.

I think these things are doable and it’s important that you are just determined.