Stress = Food

Eastackhouse

I am 37 years old and I still have not found the will power to not turn to food when I'm stressed, sad, mad you name it!!!
I want to lose 20 pounds. I gained about 17 this year (blaming my divorce

preciouschild1960

I know what you mean same problem BUT WE ARE GOING TO CONQUER THIS!!!! We need to research on what food we can eat, not eat, and portion control. When we are in despair, mad, and get depressed WE are going to walk, listen to certain music that takes our mind somewhere else, pray, and contact your supporters here to keep you grounded

estherdragonbat

I know that feeling. What's helped for me is keeping lower-calorie options on-hand (dry cereal and Skinny Pop popcorn take a while to eat.) And before I eat, I measure and I log it. If I want more, more measuring and more logging. What I don't do is take the box of cereal/bag of popcorn into the other room with me.

It helps make me just that little bit more mindful. Sometimes, that's all it takes to check myself and say, "Hey. You aren't actually hungry. Are you sure you want this?" And sometimes, the answer is yes.

Also, try drinking water, tea, diet soda, coffee, or other low-cal/no-cal options.

One other tip: exercise does more than burn calories. I find that it improves my mood and my stress levels. Which means that

• My stress eating is more under control, because I find myself getting stressed less often, and when I am under pressure, it's usually at more manageable levels.
• Improved mood means emotions under better control, which means less emotional eating.
• That calorie burn? Means that when I do give in and eat, I have the calories for it (especially when I've got lower-calorie options to choose from). And when nothing but a pint of Haagen-Dasz will do? Well, even if I can't really accommodate it, I can at least not go over my maintenance calories for the day.

choppie70

One of the things I do when I know I am stress eating or going to stress eat is to log what I am planning on eating BEFORE I eat it. It is amazing how I snap out of it when I see the numbers added on to my log!

I also have found that when I exercise I stress eat less. Exercising makes me feel better and eases my stress.

Machka9

For me ...

Stress = a whole lot of exercise.

ourenchantedcottage

I also can be a stress eater. After I do it... The hate I have for myself goes on for days. But, I have tried this the last few times and it worked. Will it work tomorrow? Who knows? But it is worth the shot. First, ask myself, why am I going to eat this item and I probably won't even taste it. It isn't what I really want. But what I want to do at some points is either stress eat or make others unhappy, by smacking their face off. But I try not to do that and what is left is stress eating. So now, I realized that I have my goals for my health. I look at the food item and realize that I come first and that person or thing is not more important than me. For the first time in my life, I am coming first.

Eastackhouse

estherdragonbat wrote: »

I know that feeling. What's helped for me is keeping lower-calorie options on-hand (dry cereal and Skinny Pop popcorn take a while to eat.) And before I eat, I measure and I log it. If I want more, more measuring and more logging. What I don't do is take the box of cereal/bag of popcorn into the other room with me.

It helps make me just that little bit more mindful. Sometimes, that's all it takes to check myself and say, "Hey. You aren't actually hungry. Are you sure you want this?" And sometimes, the answer is yes.

Also, try drinking water, tea, diet soda, coffee, or other low-cal/no-cal options.

One other tip: exercise does more than burn calories. I find that it improves my mood and my stress levels. Which means that

• My stress eating is more under control, because I find myself getting stressed less often, and when I am under pressure, it's usually at more manageable levels.
• Improved mood means emotions under better control, which means less emotional eating.
• That calorie burn? Means that when I do give in and eat, I have the calories for it (especially when I've got lower-calorie options to choose from). And when nothing but a pint of Haagen-Dasz will do? Well, even if I can't really accommodate it, I can at least not go over my maintenance calories for the day.

ourenchantedcottage wrote: »

I also can be a stress eater. After I do it... The hate I have for myself goes on for days. But, I have tried this the last few times and it worked. Will it work tomorrow? Who knows? But it is worth the shot. First, ask myself, why am I going to eat this item and I probably won't even taste it. It isn't what I really want. But what I want to do at some points is either stress eat or make others unhappy, by smacking their face off. But I try not to do that and what is left is stress eating. So now, I realized that I have my goals for my health. I look at the food item and realize that I come first and that person or thing is not more important than me. For the first time in my life, I am coming first.

ourenchantedcottage wrote: »

I also can be a stress eater. After I do it... The hate I have for myself goes on for days. But, I have tried this the last few times and it worked. Will it work tomorrow? Who knows? But it is worth the shot. First, ask myself, why am I going to eat this item and I probably won't even taste it. It isn't what I really want. But what I want to do at some points is either stress eat or make others unhappy, by smacking their face off. But I try not to do that and what is left is stress eating. So now, I realized that I have my goals for my health. I look at the food item and realize that I come first and that person or thing is not more important than me. For the first time in my life, I am coming first.

Thank you everyone. It does help to know that I'm not alone. I totally agree with the guilt I feel afterwards on top of the disappointment when I gain weight.