Comfort Cream
Fort Collins Fitness Trainer Discusses the High Price of Comfort Food
The holidays are upon us—first Thanksgiving, then Christmas—quickly followed by New Year's celebrations and then Valentine's Day. Even with a steel will and a padlock on your fridge, it can be nearly impossible to walk away from the veritable onslaught of family traditions and comfort food about to reach your stomach and derail your fitness goals. Don't be tempted by the siren call of high-salt, high-sugar treats. They do, after all, come with a high price tag attached.
A lot of my personal training clients swear that their comfort food preferences are regional. For instance, one of my personal training clients hails from Alabama, and she heads straight for mashed potatoes (and the sour cream, butter, and half-and-half her mother uses to make them). Another client is from New York—food heaven for her means potato latkes and deep-fried jelly doughnuts. Finally, another client is from Wisconsin and loves cheese—and lots of it. Other clients claim that they gravitate towards one comfort food over another depending on their gender—i.e., women have to have their chocolate; men can't live without their chicken wings and dark beer.
I think foods join the comfort category whenever they:
- Fulfill an emotional need rather than a nutritional one.
- Come in large portions that leave you feeling elated one second and then bloated the next.
- Contain a ridiculous amount of empty calories in a single serving.
- Fall into the sugary or the salty category.
- Happen to be fried, or smothered, and/or covered in cheese.
- Increase the likelihood that you'll mindlessly munch them.
Surely, one of these categories brings a knowing nod and a sad smile to your face. I know this because everyone has a weakness for at least one food. And that food is our "go-to" treat. It never lets us down, fails to show up or disappoints. People run to their comfort food for all kinds of reasons.
- Habit ("I always eat chips when I watch my American Idol, it just wouldn't be the same without it.") Interestingly, breaking the cycle is possible. Your body can get just as acclimated to a positive diet habit as a negative one.
- To mask/alter/avoid an uncomfortable or scary emotion. Or to celebrate a positive one. ("My boyfriend just broke up with me! Let's eat the whole carton of ice cream," or "I got a new job, let's eat that carton of ice cream!") Either way, it's mostly emotions (not physical hunger pains) that trigger this kind of overindulgence or mindless raiding of the fridge. You would probably be amazed at the amount of self-medicating people do with food.
- The join-the-crowd-syndrome. ("It's a party, after all! Everyone else gets cake, why can't I have cake?") This "might as well join them" mantra is especially rampant during the holiday season. Often, friends don't help in moments like these. The pressure from friends to join them can bring even the strongest individual to their knees.
So what is it about comfort food, really? It's because they taste so darn good right? And for those first few moments, it's sheer joy. But what about after? You feel bloated, swollen, thirsty, embarrassed, frustrated, fatigued—is it really worth it, holidays or not?
Few of us can do comfort foods in moderation. Just say no. Remember, your fitness fate lies in your BRAIN, not your taste buds, not your past and not in the words of friends. Don't sabotage your fitness goals. You Must Have the mental fortitude to not give in to the temptations of comfort foods.
About the Author
Dennis Blair is a Fort Collins Weight Loss expert and is the owner of Core Fitness and Nutrition, a personal fitness training company in Fort Collins, Colorado Go here: Personal Training in Fort Collins to see routines on how we help our clients lose weight and become healthy.
MAC Complete Comfort Cream Review!
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