Help refraining from stress eating

pbandz

How do you guys do it?
I recently started dieting again about three weeks ago and I've lost 4 pounds. I was doing really well and then I hit this past Friday where I ate pretty crummy through the weekend. Today I've done pretty poorly already and I feel like my self control has gone by the wayside, I know I shouldn't be eating two servings of pizza rolls and piece of cake but I'm so unbelievably upset and stressed out that this is how I'm responding. Now I feel mentally even worse and I want to know how you guys manage your stress eating.

Ps. I am going for a multi hour walk now to try and make myself feel less guilty about it.

kshama2001

After decades of stress eating, I have successfully channeled that impulse into exercise. Pruning works especially well for me.

MarcyKirkton

I am more of a boredom eater, but I can stress eat, too. lol I just had to set my calories and stick with it, regardless of what was going on.

I drink too much coffee, I suppose, when stressed. I chew too much gum.

But I just don't hit the chip bag.

soapsandropes

Find other things to help you deal with stress. And then accept that once in a while you are going to not do the perfect thing, admit it and get over it. It isn't easy, I fell back on eating for stress relief this summer, and then my pants got tight and I had to admit it and get back on track. Letting go of little annoyances has also helped a lot, keeps the general level of stress down.

ammo7

I find that sometimes if things aren't going great in one area of life, it's easy to see everything else as falling apart too. On the flip side, if you can keep making good decisions about food/health even while you feel stressed, it could help you feel like you're on the right path, which is a nice gift to yourself while you're stressed. So knowing the benefit of sticking to your goals might help you to stick to them, which might help you to realize that you are a capable, awesome person

Things that have helped me, which you might find helpful too:
- When you start to feel stressed, make a list of what is stressing you. It makes you slow down, focus on what is truly bothering you (and maybe even come up with a strategy to address the problem!)
- Do something nice for yourself. Eating pizza rolls and a cake simply because you're stressed isn't really a nice thing to do for yourself; if you're not even hungry it's more of an attempt to seek comfort. But we usually don't end up feeling comforted by making those choices! Something nice for yourself could be: taking a hot bath, going for a nice walk, taking a nap (goodness knows I get super stressed when I haven't had enough sleep!!).
- Have lots of low calorie food options, so that if you do feel like a treat, you have something that won't make you go over your calorie goal.
- Remind yourself about your goals (so you'll be more likely to stick with them) and also your progress so far (so that you can feel good about what you are capable of).

717Shelly

I am also a stress eater. But i usually just want a large amount of food. So i have started earting a big plate of veggies first. That way if i still want the high cal food, im already full and wont eat as much.

jnnyp

I found that exercising help! You can go for a walk, run, join a local club or swim. I joined the gym and I go there 3-4 times a week for 30-40 minutes. Drink more water and have less caffeine. Sleeping earlier will help too. You will start to feel the benefits.

pbandz

ammo7 wrote: »

I find that sometimes if things aren't going great in one area of life, it's easy to see everything else as falling apart too. On the flip side, if you can keep making good decisions about food/health even while you feel stressed, it could help you feel like you're on the right path, which is a nice gift to yourself while you're stressed. So knowing the benefit of sticking to your goals might help you to stick to them, which might help you to realize that you are a capable, awesome person

Things that have helped me, which you might find helpful too:
- When you start to feel stressed, make a list of what is stressing you. It makes you slow down, focus on what is truly bothering you (and maybe even come up with a strategy to address the problem!)
- Do something nice for yourself. Eating pizza rolls and a cake simply because you're stressed isn't really a nice thing to do for yourself; if you're not even hungry it's more of an attempt to seek comfort. But we usually don't end up feeling comforted by making those choices! Something nice for yourself could be: taking a hot bath, going for a nice walk, taking a nap (goodness knows I get super stressed when I haven't had enough sleep!!).
- Have lots of low calorie food options, so that if you do feel like a treat, you have something that won't make you go over your calorie goal.
- Remind yourself about your goals (so you'll be more likely to stick with them) and also your progress so far (so that you can feel good about what you are capable of).

These are great thank you

zombiemusicgirl

I'm going through this right now - I am a stress/boredom/tired eater. I have started doing the following as going for a run at 11:00 at night isn't always the best option. (I work from 2-9 teaching music, so my schedule is about 4-5 hours later than everyone else).

Grab some nail polish and do your nails (I find this nicely cathartic and have gotten very good at it)
Drink some hot tea with honey (Yes - it is still consuming something, but it gives me a nice feeling in the evening)
Reading a magazine that motivates me to get to the gym or out for a run the next day
Planning my milestone rewards (I re-plan them every 3 weeks or so)
Making lists of things to do when I want to eat (Now that's redundancy!)

I try to stay away from anything work related or too productive. When I want to stress, etc. eat, I find that it means I need time for myself, and I should do something I enjoy, or that isn't going to get me more stressed out.

Also, why aren't you supposed to have 2 slices of pizza and cake? Yeah it's a bit unbalanced, but if it fits into your calories, it's ok. Don't beat yourself up about it. Make a plan for the rest of the day and tomorrow and get back on track.

PinkPixiexox

You'll need to learn to channel your stress through other things :]

For me, I read a book when I'm stressed or have a hot bubble bath. Sometimes I'll speak to someone that makes me laugh on the phone or I make myself a cappucino and curl up and fume for a while. Sometimes I'll exercise. Sometimes I'll clean the house or go for a walk. There are many, many things you can do to relieve stress that don't involve eating. You'll get there. Bit by bit.