Lynn: Marriage & Food Triggers

We are now *in Maui* (arrived yesterday afternoon) and on the first full day of our honeymoon. I have no idea what we’ve planned (I am writing this a week ago) but I am so excited for what it might be. Now I want to welcome Lynn – thanks for guest posting for me today!

***

Hello “Say Yes to Salad” readers!

This is Lynn from “The Actor’s Diet” – a food blog about my life as an actress in Hollywood, and the foods I eat to stay looking camera-ready. But my blog is also about my recovery from my longtime battle with eating disorders. Although it’s been over two years since my last binge bout, I am always cautious about a potential relapse. Since Maggie asked for a guest post pertaining to the subject of marriage, I thought I would share with you how I handle when my husband goes away – one of my old triggers.

I used to freak out whenever he left town since I felt emotional about his absence, and would use being alone as an excuse to binge away/not eat for days without his watchful eye. Throughout the years, I’ve learned some coping skills to deal with those feelings/behaviors, and now when he goes away I have almost zero anxiety.

Here’s what I do:

1. Schedule a massage/facial/mani/pedi. I think self care is uber important, and having something indulgent to look forward to can make the time apart seem like a vacation for yourself. You can get great deals on groupon, or search to see if there’s a massage school near you for discount rates. New to massage? Check out my tips.
2. Don’t stray from your usual routines – continue to exercise if you do that daily and make sure to eat a healthy, filling breakfast. Some of my favorites are on my blog’s recipe page.
3. Make sure to indulge/treat yourself too. I’m not a believer in the “no food reward” mentality that most diets have. I think food can be an incredible source of comfort, and a big part of my recovery has been accepting and allowing it to be just that. Bake your favorite healthy treat (I love these black bean brownies) or if you don’t feel comfortable having certain foods in the house, go out and eat your favorite meal/dessert, savoring each bite.



4. Watch TV shows/movies that your partner would never watch. My husband can’t stand big-budget romantic comedies and shows from the 80’s. That’s exactly what I fill up my DVR box/Netflix queue with!
5. Plan a fun night out – or in. Get your girls together for a nice dinner in/out, catch up with your old high school friend over a drink and talk about stuff your partner would feel left out about. Or just stay home and pamper yourself with great takeout and a bunch of your favorite magazines.
6. Video chat with your partner! We’re so lucky to live in a world where we can Skype/IM Video for free. Just like the Jetsons!

***

Hope you all enjoyed these tips! I will definitely keep them in my arsenal of tricks. Fortunately right now I am with the love of my life for 2 solid weeks and we do not have to worry about anything – no phones, no computers, no responsibilities (ok, we have the phones and computers – but we are not using them much!). It’s amazing how freeing it is to completely get away from your life for a little bit.

Do you have any more tips to add?