50 ways to soothe yourself without food

I was browsing (distracted/sucked into) Amazon.com and you know how they recommend books for you based on your browsing history?  Well this one popped up and it looks pretty interesting to me.  Its called "50 ways to soothe  yourself without food" by Susan Albers PSY.D.  There are no reviews on this book yet so I'm not going to purchase it just yet.  I read Judith Beck's "The Beck Diet Soluion" and it talks about an overall cognitive behavioral approach to eating.  I know a lot of people really like that book and I understand why.  It just didn't do it for me personally.  Not because its not well written or have good ideas in it, it just didn't click for me and I lost interest in the book and the approach.  Another weight loss doctor who posts videos on Youtube said something that clicked for me.  She said to write down 100 small things - like "plant one flower" or "read one page from a book" or other small actions.  Write them down on small slips of paper and put the papers in a jar.  Each time you have the urge to eat and you know you shouldn't or may not be truly hungry - draw a slip of paper from the jar and do that one action.  Typically, by the time you're done, the urge has passed and you can help to distract yourself from emotional eating in this manner.  Great idea, I think, I just haven't put it in to practice yet.  I really am interested in discovering why I soothe myself with food which is why I'm interested in this book.

I went to see my SIL's new house and took my daughter.  On the way back, she saw a Dunkin' Doughnuts and got so excited for a "pink doughnut with sprinkles!"

I rarely stop for treats, but I did this time.  She got her pink doughnut with sprinkles and some milk and I just got a coffee.  Now, in the past, I would have gotten something too - but I resisted with no real effort.  That's a really good thing!  I got home and around noon I was truly hungry so I got some leftover chicken lo mein that's been in the fridge that I've been resisting also.  I ate a few bites and OMG - terribly stuck!  And this is after coffee.  Usually after coffee I can eat whatever the heck I want - which is pretty dangerous - so I try to wait a good 3-4 hours after I drink coffee to eat anything b/c my band seems to tighten back up.  I spit so much it was gross!  I also threw up once - very little came up but my stomach is sore from it.  I hate to say it, but I'm glad my band was tight, it stopped me from sliding backwards which I have done far too regularly on the weekends.  I'm usually really great at eating during the week b/c I'm so busy and distracted by my job.  The weekends are a struggle.  I want to feel cozy.  And I want cozy food.  it is now 1:37pm and I've not eaten like a crazy person even though the 'stuck' lo mein is no longer stuck.  I need to take that as an opportunity to 'do over' a potential backslide.  I'm going to plan my food now and make a grocery list and go to the store.....