If You’re Sad About The Breakup...

In between the raging tears, reminiscing through old photographs, and therapeutic phone calls to friends, it's time for some serious comfort food. This is not the time to worry about calories, bloating, or weight gain. Give yourself a few days of indulgent eating. Then, do your best to ditch the blues and get back on track with some healthy eats (see our suggestions below) so you can look and feel your best.

• Ice Cream  The gooier the better. Our favorite breakup flavors include Breyer's Smooth and Dreamy Mint Chocolate Chip (half the fat and still tasty and addictive) and Starbucks Java Chip. A cold, creamy treat helps get rid of the headache your idiot ex-significant-other may have caused. And our favorite trick - eat it out of a martini glass and you’ll feel sexy, seductively single, and invincible! (Once you get back on track, replace it with: low-fat maple yogurt.)
  
  
• Popcorn  Something about this crunchy treat gets our aggression out. Pop up a big bowl, smother on the melted butter and nestle in front of the telly with a good movie. Perfect lift-your-spirits flicks include Mamma Mia! and Bridget Jones' Diary for the gals -- Old School or Ocean's Eleven for the dudes. (Once you go back to healthy noshing, skip the butter and salt and sprinkle it with a little paprika and parmesan cheese.)
• Pizza  The ultimate comfort food -- melted cheese, crispy bread, pepperoni, and toppings galore. What better way to heal a broken heart? Just don’t let misery drive you over the edge -- limit yourself to three slices. Otherwise, you may wake up in the morning feeling like a beached whale. (Then get back to your "dating weight" by replacing the pizza with whole wheat tortillas sprinkled with diced tomato, cucumber, and feta cheese.)
• Melted Brie & Baguette  Forget those wimpy part-skim, low-fat cheeses. When you break up, you need the full-fat triple-crème Brie — the decadent king of all fromage. Melt it in a baking dish in the oven and dig in with thin slices of bread. Along with a glass of red wine, this will make you feel so indulged, so loved, you’ll totally forget about what’s-his-name. (When your mourning period ends, ditch the B&B for a more figure-flattering Triscuits topped with low-fat cottage cheese).
• Tortilla Chips & Guac  Salt, salt, and more salt, combined with garlic and a little spice equals pure bliss. Anything crunchy is good for a breakup because it helps work out that frustration -- and somehow tortilla chips feel less fattening and zit-inducing than potato chips. Plus, aren’t avocados loaded with the “good” kind of fat anyways? Sign us up! (Mini carrots dipped in hummus are a yummy replacement when you're ready to come out of your food coma.)
• Chocolate  Let’s face it, this stuff works for every occasion, good or bad, happy or sad. Nibbling a bit of dark chocolate, or in some cases a whole bar, will put you in the mood for new love. (And yes, you can continue to sneak some sweets once you phase into a healthier lifestyle -- Rolos are 20 calories a piece so allow yourself four or five a day.)

If You’re Happy About The Breakup...

If parting with your ex leaves you feeling free and easy (although still a tad awkward and sentimental), nosh on something that makes you feel lighthearted and nostalgic, like a kid again. Nothing fussy, nothing fancy. Enjoy and give your spirit an extra lift.

• Gummy Candy  Coke Bottles, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, Hot Tamales, and the list goes on. They're fun to look at and popping them in your mouth makes you feel like a kid again -- wild and carefree -- how apropos for the occasion. Sure, gummies are loaded with sugar but they're still fat-free, so chomp away and you could always do a quick brushing afterwards.
  
  
• Pasta  Pasta is the food of love, so put yourself back in the right frame of mind by slurping down a big helping of garlic linguini, penne with marinara, or spaghetti primavera. We like to serve it up bistro-style, with some candlelight, warm bread, and a glass of Cab on the side.
  
  
• Burger 'n Fries  The ultimate carefree (if slightly grease-laden) meal. Go for it!
  
  
• Cupcakes  These are festive, celebratory, and best of all, they're fun to eat. So munching on a red velvet cupcake slathered with cream cheese, or a chocolate bundle topped with frosted flowers is an fitting way to lighten up the mood and usher in the next stage of your romantic life.