How to not eat due to stress...

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  • ptsmiles
    ptsmiles Posts: 511 Member
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    Yoga, tea, a nice warm bath and meditation are always helpful for me.
  • JustAnotherGirlSuzanne
    JustAnotherGirlSuzanne Posts: 932 Member
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    Channel that stress into exercise. If you do that daily it will more than likely help with the sleep too.
  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I wish I had the answer. I wish I good answers as everyone else always does…
    I struggle with this as I struggle maybe what i do that helps me (occasionally) may prove to work for you.
    Sometimes I just give in but intentionally and before I eat something I shift gears in my head what i WILL BE EATING FOR THE REST of the day (oops all caps…) and eating the rest of the day must be light depending how much i eat or how little then i just don't allow anymore snacks for the day and eat a normal 3-500 cal dinner. I mean it will happen-even under complete control it may happen then too. The key is to plan it into your day. Be flexible so your bending with it not breaking (reminds me of a bruce lee quote)
    Keep busy. how about a hobby? if I'm stressed all i want to do is paint my nails or draw or paint. It just calms-i take forever with my nails but its the calming that gets me zoned out.
    Reading helps IMMENSLEY. if I had time to read a book in a day it would something special for me. A book some tea. Keep low fat enjoyable snacks. Popcorn is so good and ok if its not loaded with butter.
    I like windmill spice cookies with cool whip and it literally tastes like a full fat pumpkin pie-not lying and its only like 150 calories versus 300? for pumpkin pie. Cheezits are good. you can eat 25 of them things as a serving size. Or if you live in nicer climates then my #1 idea would be walking or going towards some water. Water helps me calm down fast. I feel so peaceful and…at ease. Water is a force to be reckoned with. You are changed when meeting with water. If all else fails go to God. The almighty has answered almost all of my prayers when approaching Him with an open mind and if I fast and have good intentions they get answered immediately. Start a relationship even if its a few words and his tuggings at your heart will be felt and you feel his peace replace your stress. Nothing else is like it, nothing else will ever be close to what He offers and what He has done for me. Life change.
  • pensierobello
    pensierobello Posts: 285 Member
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    Body Balance is something I've taken up recently that really helps me, I find it shoves all the stress out, more than yoga or Pilates! Try it :)
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Find things you like to do - and enjoy the experience thoroughly. It can be just relaxing in front of the TV; long walk or some sort of exercise; reading a book; meditating; taking 10 minutes to just "be with yourself" and chill...sort some things out.

    Are there things around the house that bug you that need to be straightened up? Last week, the laundry room was really bugging me. It had become a "catch all" for extra blankets that we never used, and was very disorganized. I spent an hour or two for a day or two getting everything straightened up. Now it doesn't bug me anymore, and I'm doing laundry more frequently.

    We got a secretary desk - I've been half-way working on getting it set up as "my work area". Still not quite there yet...but that's likely to become one of my next projects - to get it set up how I want it to be.

    If nothing else works...you can run errands: Fill up the car, go to the bank, go get stamps and a box of thank you cards for when you need them.

    For what it's worth...
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
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    I'm a stress eater. Things that help me:

    - coming on MFP and reading motivational threads like 'Things no one told you about losing weight'

    - putting on music really loud, and dancing in my living room (songs like Shake it Off by Taylor Swift)

    - if I think that something crunchy will really help, then I eat a low cal snack like celery and dip (bonus if you trade dip for hummus, but I never have hummus handy)

    - doing a HIIT video on youtube

    - drinking tea

    - analyzing why I'm stressed. I've recently cut a few friends from my life, l so I am a lot less stressed, but they haven't figured it out yet, so the phone calls and texts get to me, but the don't bother me as much as actually talking to them on the phone. I feel bad because I was their only support system, but I just can't do it anymore. It's my life, and I need to do what's best for me.

    - If I'm stressed, I have to avoid going out, because I'll end up tempted and caving in to 'obesity' stimuli (scents, signs, 'deals', etc)
  • SwankyTomato
    SwankyTomato Posts: 442 Member
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    Another HOT tea drinker here. Currently sipping on some green tea.

    For starters if something is stressing me out, I will "take care of it". That may mean calling and making an appt., working on the undone project, etc. That really helps the most.

    Prelogging my food helps.

    Also not having junk food in the house in the first place. I am not ready for that level of temptation yet.

    One thing that has totally helped me is my LARGE dry erase board, cork board, and my hanging calendar in the kitchen. I can jot down what I have to do for the day including a SHOWER TIME if I am having a really bad day, have a ongoing grocery list, etc. My appt. cards are pinned on the cork board. I take a picture with my phone before I go out and have all my stuff on my phone. Easy peasy. It keeps things "calm and organized" for me.

    Then of course my active things are taking dogs for a walk, exercise, cleaning, reading, catching up on my tv series, and so on.
  • Sheseeksstrength
    Sheseeksstrength Posts: 138 Member
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    Thank y'all so much for the feedback!! It has been so helpful. I think tea will be my new best friend ;)
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    I am very lucky no stress in my life. Been there done that.
  • j1cmpbll
    j1cmpbll Posts: 30 Member
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    Run on the treadmill. It helps me relieve some good stress. Get a punching bag. That helps for me too.
  • yourradimradletshug
    yourradimradletshug Posts: 964 Member
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    I ususally take a walk and listen to music. I get lost in a song I love as I walk and it really helps me forget what was stressing me for a while!
  • Briargrey
    Briargrey Posts: 498 Member
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    You choose not to eat in response to stress. It's that simple. It's not EASY, but it's that simple. I try to pre-plan my days as much as possible from a food standpoint, so I know where I'm at at any given point and know what flexibility I have. I consciously remind myself not to eat in response to stress and to stick within my goals. My goals are more important than any momentary rush of 'must have'.

    Am I perfect? Nope, I falter. I also consciously make exceptions sometimes. I just overall committed myself to NOT doing it, just like I committed myself to exercising and tracking my food and sticking within a calorie goal.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    In response to stress, I work out more.
  • Sheseeksstrength
    Sheseeksstrength Posts: 138 Member
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    Briargrey wrote: »
    You choose not to eat in response to stress. It's that simple. It's not EASY, but it's that simple. I try to pre-plan my days as much as possible from a food standpoint, so I know where I'm at at any given point and know what flexibility I have. I consciously remind myself not to eat in response to stress and to stick within my goals. My goals are more important than any momentary rush of 'must have'.

    Am I perfect? Nope, I falter. I also consciously make exceptions sometimes. I just overall committed myself to NOT doing it, just like I committed myself to exercising and tracking my food and sticking within a calorie goal.

    That is so true!!! It's that simple, just not easy! I am going to really work on this!!
  • Jolinia
    Jolinia Posts: 846 Member
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    I'm dying to get a punching bag to take my stress out on. One of the big heavy ones. Until then, running, biking, wobbling on rollerblades, shouting at the top of my lungs in my car (easy way to not disturb the neighbors, bonus if Let the Bodies Hit the Floor is playing), and just plain refusing to let anyone or anything put me under stress period.
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
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    Jolinia wrote: »
    I'm dying to get a punching bag to take my stress out on. One of the big heavy ones. Until then, running, biking, wobbling on rollerblades, shouting at the top of my lungs in my car (easy way to not disturb the neighbors, bonus if Let the Bodies Hit the Floor is playing), and just plain refusing to let anyone or anything put me under stress period.

    Wow, old song! Love it!

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