Stress management tactics

abbefaria4

Hello All,

In the past I've lost 20-30 pounds on a reasonable diet but then have had something stressful occur which knocked me off the diet. I read in the book, The Power of Habit, that this is a common occurrence for people who are trying to change difficult bad habits or create positive new ones. Does anyone have any suggestions/tactics as to how they stay on their diet when things get tough?

Thanks,
Andrew

abbefaria4

Also, I'm looking for new friends if anyone wants to send me an add.

kimny72

I found using exercise as stress relief very helpful. In addition, if I do end up with some emotional eating, at least I've burned some extra calories too.

I also continue to log in maintenance and prelog. If I want to munch on some pretzels because I'm stressed out, I measure a couple of servings, log it, and eat it.

Do these things always work? Nope But they do work often and make it easier to get right back on track.

nutmegoreo

First, focusing on the positives. Second, making small changes that are sustainable, and adding more as I adjust to those. For example, week 1 start logging everything. The good the bad, and the ugly. Then look to see what can easily be swapped. Third, meditation practice.

fitoverfortymom

I try and remember that losing weight is a gift to myself, and not a punishment. It's ok to put the needs of your own health first.

vingogly

There are a number of techniques available for relaxation, some focusing on muscle relaxation, some on breathing, some on mindfulness (directing your awareness to the current moment):

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stress/relaxation.htm
https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started

If you look for the techniques mentioned on these pages on Youtube, you'll probably find video instructions on how to do them.

If you use a lot of caffeine, reducing your intake might help as can exercise as mentioned earlier. Self-medicating with alcohol is NOT a good idea, since your body rebounds to a higher level of arousal after the alcohol wears off.

Lillymoo01

I get stressed ... I walk
I get anxious ..... I walk
I get depressed ..... I walk

Can you see a pattern?

passenger79

Walk /hike and yoga. I am absolutely in love with hiking ,it clears your mind and you have such a sense of achievement once you climb that hill or mountain .

Plus I get generous amount of exercise calories for hiking all day so it's a win-win.

kenyonhaff

For me, exercise. If I'm anticipating a stressful day, I get up early to do some yoga or a relaxing stretching program to put me in a better frame of mind.

Mindfulness. The impulse when reacting to stress is to rush, get frantic, buy into the panic - but oddly that isn't usually necessary. (Sometimes it is). But you'd be surprised what taking ten deep breaths, study the situation for a moment, ask for clarity/details/reasons can do.

Food can be a stress release, but in a healthy way. Making a nice batch of warm chocolate chip cookies with my son can be a fun family activity. Munching mindlessly on Chips Ahoy...not so much. Also, eating well helps put my body in a better place to DEAL with stress. A body that's been eating fatty and sugary foods isn't primed for dealing with the day.

leggup

I also struggle with this. I'm trying to pre-log my calories so that I don't let the stress send me in a tailspin. I also am trying to keep more little treats in the house so that I can be like, "wah terrible day... 50 cal wrapped chocolate" instead of "Wah terrible day, all of the cake."

murp4069

Things I do that replace stress eating (and also smoking):

Cleaning
Going for walks - even short 5 minute walks during the work day
Reading more fiction
Games on my phone like Candy Crush
Watching YouTube makeup tutorials (I don't even wear much makeup but something about these videos soothes me lol)

Jthanmyfitnesspal

It is well documented that people whose minds are otherwise occupied will have difficulty overriding many unwanted impulses, including overeating. Honestly, you just have to over-override the stressors with an even stronger desire to take care of yourself: Self care first, everything else second! The importance of this becomes so much more evident as you age.