Stress and weight loss

getupforchange

Switch your phone off and let the boyfriend find someone else to rant away to for a bit. Maybe go for a walk and let the plumber fix the shower on his own. Decide for yourself what YOU want to do. Do you want to move? Do you want to exercise more? If you do you shouldn't have to care where your boyfriend is or isn't at the time. If he makes fun of you for doing a workout video he shouldn't be your boyfriend. If he blames you for your living situation he shouldn't be your boyfriend. If he sits around at work texting you constantly making you feel bad he shouldn't be your boyfriend.

And finally, decide whether or not your weightloss should be your main project right now? If you can't make it a priority because you don't have the mental energy or whatever, then all it will do is cause you more stress and guilt. Do it because you feel like you're worth it and it's something that will be beneficial to you. If that's not the case right now reconsider.

DapperDassie

I'm right there with you. I'm going through a divorce, parenting my too smart for her own good and incredibly willful 16 month old mostly by myself, dealing with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, and being broke as a joke. I find hypnosis helps A LOT both with stress and with emotional eating. I listen to an 8 hour hypnosis every night and listen to binural beats during the day

medic2038

Yeah prolonged stress doesn't usually work well with trying to lose weight. Stress and lack of sleep usually go hand in hand, and lead to mental health issues typically (depression, anxiety,etc). It's a nasty cycle!

Some of the big things that really help me reduce stress are lifting and meditation. While you certainly don't HAVE to lift, any type of exercise should be helpful.

ahoy_m8

It sounds like a difficult, and stressful, situation, and I feel for you. There are things that sound positive, too, though.

1) 0.5pound loss per week (you might be losing faster?) is great progress. That's my goal, actually.
2) Your son is old enough to be helpful, share some responsibilities (vs. being completely dependent).
3) It's easier to move on from a rent situation than a jointly owned home with the bf.
4) It's easier to leave a job that doesn't provide benefits like health insurance than one that does.

In the short term, is your bf receptive to making your relationship better? E.g. when you say something like, "When you vent/yell, my stress levels shoot up and I feel it in my stomach," does he respond with compassion? How would he respond if you confided you were struggling with stress right now? Would he ask how he could help? If directly addressing your main point of stress could improve the situation, it is worth doing in the short term, no matter what you do long term.

If directly addressing the problem makes it worse, that tells you something pretty significant about this relationship. Especially if he is a controlling personality type or isolates you from job prospects or a community of support, that's a huge red flag. In that case, investing energy in finding other job prospects might be the next most direct way to address the stress. I know, a job search can be super stressful, too. But only short term!

The comments questioning if weight loss is your top priority are wise. You might feel better faster by taking small steps to address the biggest stress points first. On the other hand, sometimes being able to control one small thing (your intake) amid a complicated stressful situation is one small thing you can feel good about every day. Either way, I feel for you and wish you the best.