Stressful eating habits

AnnaLeigh
AnnaLeigh Member Posts: 187 Member
edited March 2014 in Caregivers #1
We all know about the challenges of getting enough sleep and keeping up with all of the household and medical/caregiving requirements but lately I have found myself doing what I call "stress eating".

I try to keep several things around the house for me to eat when my husband has just had a full round of chemo or fatigue sets in and he doesn't want a meal. Why cook and clean the entire kitchen when I am exhausted and the only one eating. Right? On days when the stress levels get high I tend to pass by the tuna, fruit, salad makings and healthy foods and just grab what ever is quick and most convenient. Or after skipping lunch that day I will find myself sitting down to dinner and eating enough for two people because my body knows it needs the extra nutrition to keep going, and going, and going. Like the Energizer Bunny !

The other night my dinner consisted of a cup of French Vanilla Coffee and three almond-flavored biscotti.

What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten and called it a "meal" ?

Comments

  • zinniemay
    zinniemay Member Posts: 522
    #2
    food
    Orange sliced the candy ones. Allot of junk food. When my husband has chemo he still eats. When he had radation and Chemo , We stayed at a A hotel that had a social hour at night, So I eat really good did not have to cook at all. This time he has Chemo once everythree weeks. I stay up late at night and he gets up early. So I eat Orange slickes (The candy) and then went and done the yard work.
  • kimmygarland
    kimmygarland Member Posts: 312
    #3
    zinniemay said:

    food
    Orange sliced the candy ones. Allot of junk food. When my husband has chemo he still eats. When he had radation and Chemo , We stayed at a A hotel that had a social hour at night, So I eat really good did not have to cook at all. This time he has Chemo once everythree weeks. I stay up late at night and he gets up early. So I eat Orange slickes (The candy) and then went and done the yard work.

    Argh...
    This is a real issue for me. First let me say that my husband has throat cancer so eating for him has been an issue from the very beginning. Secondly, while I am not obese, I could stand to lose a few pounds and put on weight easily. I also eat copious amounts of sweets when stressed. Put all that together with the looming surgery and him not being able to eat for awhile and maybe never - and I am probably going to balloon up like a moose. I already exercise 30-45 min a day and don't see being able to increase that over the next few weeks/months.

    I am going to the doctor today to talk to her about getting something for my emotions so hopefully I will cut down on medicating with food.

    I am also trying to fatten Bob up before the surgery and while I'm not sure how many pounds HE has gained, I have successfully gained 5. Joy.

    Now that I have rambled on, I'll go back to the original question and that is what is the weirdest thing you have eaten for a meal. I guess that would probably be some weird combination of stuff like peanut butter and hummus and crackers or grape tomatoes. Stuff I can grab without putting any thought into it.
  • Noellesmom
    Noellesmom Member Posts: 1,859 Member
    #4
    eating
    Hmmmm.....anything that doesn't move faster than I do!

    My husband hasn't had the eating issues other throat cancer patients have so I've been cooking regular meals that appeal to him - last night I made chicken pot pie, for example.

    However, while I am at work, I have to fend off my cravings for chocolate! I haven't dealt with this issue in a LONG time! I know it is an emotional thing but it is hard to resist. There is a Milky Way bar in the vending machine calling my name right now...
  • grandmafay
    grandmafay Member Posts: 1,633 Member
    #5
    Gained Weight
    I gained weight every time my husband had chemo. Unfortunately he had a lot of chemo. Then we found a med that actually helps with my fibromyalgia pain and one of the side effects is weight gain. It also makes it harder to lose weight. For now I have chosen extra pounds over pain. Now, the strangest thing - A few weeks after my husband passed away, I had a real down for three days. I ate nothing but jelly bellies and vinegar potato chips. What a combination!
  • Pennymac02
    Pennymac02 Member Posts: 332 Member
    #6
    Stress eating
    Cold cereal with extra sugar, and ice cream. With McDonalds sweet tea on the side. I don't know, I kinda have this mentality of "I'm under stress, I deserve it". And I quit smoking the day he had his embolization, so I don't feel guilty about it at all. Mike had his teeth pulled due to a gum infection, so he's still eating a lot of soft foods. (no infections allowed if you're wanting a liver transplant) I'll get back to the vegetables eventually, I suppose.
  • AnnaLeigh
    AnnaLeigh Member Posts: 187 Member
    #7
    grandmafay said:

    Gained Weight
    I gained weight every time my husband had chemo. Unfortunately he had a lot of chemo. Then we found a med that actually helps with my fibromyalgia pain and one of the side effects is weight gain. It also makes it harder to lose weight. For now I have chosen extra pounds over pain. Now, the strangest thing - A few weeks after my husband passed away, I had a real down for three days. I ate nothing but jelly bellies and vinegar potato chips. What a combination!

    The "New Comfort Foods"
    That is really too funny Grandmafay - jelly bellies and vinegar potato chips.

    How about my favorite - left over potato salad followed by a huge slice of chocolate cake.

    Gives us a new definition of "comfort food" doesn't it?
  • AnnaLeigh
    AnnaLeigh Member Posts: 187 Member
    #8
    Pennymac02 said:

    Stress eating
    Cold cereal with extra sugar, and ice cream. With McDonalds sweet tea on the side. I don't know, I kinda have this mentality of "I'm under stress, I deserve it". And I quit smoking the day he had his embolization, so I don't feel guilty about it at all. Mike had his teeth pulled due to a gum infection, so he's still eating a lot of soft foods. (no infections allowed if you're wanting a liver transplant) I'll get back to the vegetables eventually, I suppose.

    We eat what we can manage
    I like your attitude Pennymac - We certainly do deserve to eat whatever we can manage and what tastes good. There are too many other important matters for us to handle right now.

    The vegetables will come later.
  • AnnaLeigh
    AnnaLeigh Member Posts: 187 Member
    #9
    Noellesmom said:

    eating
    Hmmmm.....anything that doesn't move faster than I do!

    My husband hasn't had the eating issues other throat cancer patients have so I've been cooking regular meals that appeal to him - last night I made chicken pot pie, for example.

    However, while I am at work, I have to fend off my cravings for chocolate! I haven't dealt with this issue in a LONG time! I know it is an emotional thing but it is hard to resist. There is a Milky Way bar in the vending machine calling my name right now...

    Chocolate lovers survey
    There is a survey that says nine out of ten people love chocolate. And that the tenth person was a liar.

    I am one of the nine people myself.
  • Pennymac02
    Pennymac02 Member Posts: 332 Member
    #10
    AnnaLeigh said:

    We eat what we can manage
    I like your attitude Pennymac - We certainly do deserve to eat whatever we can manage and what tastes good. There are too many other important matters for us to handle right now.

    The vegetables will come later.

    veggies
    Lol Annaleigh. I'm going to update my Facebook status to "the vegetables come later.
  • kimmygarland
    kimmygarland Member Posts: 312
    #11
    Pennymac02 said:

    veggies
    Lol Annaleigh. I'm going to update my Facebook status to "the vegetables come later.

    I Agree!!
    Dump the veggies and bring on the chocolate!
  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #12
    kimmygarland said:

    I Agree!!
    Dump the veggies and bring on the chocolate!

    Too Funny!
    Hello Ladies
    May I first say thank you for starting this post. I have laughed so much! Kimmy, you are hystarical! I was a caregiver for my dad. He passed in March from ec. Stressful eating for me did not start then, and it has not ended either! My worst habit is that I do not make the time to sit down to eat. I eat on the run most of the time. I also eat standing up while doing other things too. I will just get a spoon stick it into a half gallon of ice cream (nicely melted sitting on counter..of course!) and dig in again and again until I am suffering from brain freeze! Then I will continue on with some cookies, or chips, or whatever I can get my hands on. And to think I blame my recent weight gain on my under active thyroid! Ummm........I do not think so! Thanks again and you all keep up the fight! Oh, and Pennymac, your combination of sugar would throw a non diabetic into a diabetic coma for sure! "sugar on" girls! Are there going to be any male caregivers to respond I wonder?
    Tina

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