Week 27, 2nd & 3rd Trip - One Stressed Out Day!

Week 27, 2nd, 3rd Trips
This week was a highly stressful one, it took all I had not to buy a bunch of chocolate and just go for it. But, I did make a 2 trips on the same day, and I learned a lot in retrospect.

2nd trip
Demi baguette 1.59
Chocolate, dark organic 2.37 (shared, but, mostly for me)

3rd trip
Granola, bulk 3.93

Total 7.89 (tax is included)

What I really needed was a long walk; what I did was make a chocolate sandwich for lunch. Then, when I got home, I made a yogurt parfait - granola, yogurt and honey. Of course, all in all, it was not that bad, looking back. What it did was make me think about something: I've been reading a lot about positive thinking and when you are consumed with negative feelings and thoughts you are supposed to replace it with positive good thoughts. That day, at that chocolate sandwich moment, I was literally marinading in negativity. And the one thing that helped to pull me out of it was my chocolate sandwich. It was a bandaid; a quick fix. If this is not habitual, I suppose it's ok. Next time, I might opt for a soothing beverage, like tea or coffee and a walk around the block. My love for bread and chocolate should be saved for times when I can fully savor the flavor in a positive state of mind.

Food is a go-to for many people for stressful times. Being on this budget has enlightened me on my eating habits; the way I eat and the what-for's. Seeing my stress habits in connection with how I eat unfold before my eyes is letting me get to know myself and how I react to different situations, and food plays a big part in that it is sort of a coping tool to help me feel good again.

How do you deal with stress? Do reach for certain go-to stress foods? My friend Jeanine and I used to talk about our favorite stress-foods. Her favorite was chips and salsa and a margarita and mine was Ben & Jerry's Phish Food - Hmmmm, at this one certain time in our life working an extremely stressful job together. I won't go into stress-weight gain....and a lot of the eating was in front of the t.v.

Think about how you deal with stress and negative emotions. Do you reach for food? If you're conscious about your actions, then you're half-way there. Deal with the issue and your reaction to it, which is most important. And try to enjoy your food as food, not as an emotional security blanket during a bad day.

I, myself, do not plan on giving up my chocolate sandwiches, however, I know I will enjoy them more in a positive state of mind~

Julie