Stress and weight loss

2wise4u

I've lost 31 pounds so far in about a year but lately I've had a ton of outside stress so I've hit a weight loss plateau. I think the primary culprit is stress at work. I find myself mindlessly snacking when I shouldn't. Thankfully my weight has only fluctuated about 5 pounds or so because I workout religiously even if I don't eat the way I should.

Does anyone have any thoughts on how to handle stress so that I can get back on track? I would like to continue on my journey and lose 20 more pounds but feel that subconsciously I'm sabotaging myself. So far I've tried, listening to music, taking walks during my breaks and getting out of the office for lunch.

Any other suggestions or is anyone else going through the same thing? Thanks guys

cmriverside

Job stress is the worst. Is there any way you can relieve your workload or whatever is affecting you?

I quit the last job I had that became too stressful. I tried everything, asking for help, trying to switch my hours, not talking to that one person - you know - all the stuff you try when it gets to be too much. I finally had to quit. I had a lot of trouble with eating at that job, too.

I think the best thing for me that has worked is to tell myself, "Only eat the food you bring in." That means no vending machines, no candy bowls, no birthday cake, no cupcakes n the break room. That is an easy-to-follow rule that works for me.

Good luck. Dealing with stress is crucial for a happy life.

chocolate_owl

If mindless snacking is the culprit, address the mindless part. Don't keep snacks at your desk. Don't go to the vending machines. Don't just reach for the food coworkers leave out; make a decision if you're going to eat it or not. Practice making conscious decisions about every bite, and assign a number value to your food. "This cupcake has 300 calories, do I still want it?" If you have a habit of snacking in front of your computer, your brain is going to want to eat every time you're in front of the screen. Instead, designate a place where it's ok to eat, like the break room, and only eat there.

Does the motion of eating might help with stress? Chew gum, or keep low cal veggies on hand to munch on.

I've been bad about stress eating before, but it's always been an active decision on my part. I'm upset and worn down; sugar will temporarily make me feel better and give me an energy boost, so I eat the donut and the candy and boom, I'm over calories. I find that planning out balanced meals (including carbs or my energy levels fall fast) and pre-logging my days help me manage my consumption better, and I feel physically capable throughout the day. The mental battle of stress is a whole different animal, but getting out of the office at lunch for a walk and going to the gym to lift after work helps, ish.

2wise4u

The problem isn't the workload, it's mainly the people and environment. I honestly don't mind the working hard but morale overall for everyone is down in the dumps and it doesn't seem like it's going to get better anytime soon.

With a child in private school (since our school district has horrible public schools) quitting would directly affect my daughter's education and possibly her future, so that option is out.

I'll take both of your advice and try to eliminate the amount of stress eating I do by packing most of my meals and snacks to reduce the amount of temptation around the office. I think I'll also try to get out more on the weekends because my stressful week usually makes me want to sit around the house and not venture out to have fun. I'll have to learn to leave work at work!

Thanks guys, I'll take your advice and hopefully will see the scale move in my favor again. I appreciate the help.

DearestWinter

I'd agree - pack all of your food. Make sure to pack a treat as well so you're less tempted to break down and eat something else. (Maybe the treat is a daily thing, or maybe you're allowing yourself to take a piece of chocolate in to be eaten "in case of emergency" once a week.) Make sure to pack low cal snacks in excess of your daily allotment that you can eat as much as needed. I like to have both sweet (carrots) and savory (popcorn). They're not free calories, as you'll still log them, but they'll give you something to reach for and you won't have a feeling of deprivation in the back of your mind.

I also stock up on other snacks like Greek yogurt cups (with the fruit), Babybel mini cheeses, oatmeal packets, etc. Just having a bunch of food on hand allows me to consider my options before running out to eat. If I have a good variety of flavors and textures in my snack collection then it's a good excuse for me not to grab something else. So worst case scenario I eat a bunch from my stash, but at least that's still going to be better than mindlessly grazing on communal chocolates, getting fish & chips for lunch, etc.

Edit: for clarity

2wise4u

That's a fantastic idea Winter. Having good snacks on hand will help me resist the temptation of indulging in eating the communal cakes, doughnuts and candy. We seem to have a birthday around here every week.

Joanna2012B

Have you ever thought of doing yoga. I know since I started doing yoga regularly I am able to deal with stress a lot easier. If I find myself getting overwhelmed I will practice my yoga breathing and it can be done at your desk! I do understand the whole morale of an office going down and how it affects your well being. I found keeping a job search going always gave me hopes of getting out and it paid off, I have been in my new job just over a year. The pay is better and the staff is awesome!!! Keep your chin up!!

tulips_and_tea

Sorry about the job stress. Sounds like a difficult situation.

Do you plan your meals and pre-log them? If so, when there's random food at the office for whatever reason just remember that it isn't part of your daily schedule. Eating food simply because it is available is a bad habit that we've probably all been faced with.

Learning to ease the stress with anything other than food is a good habit to develop. Good luck!