stress eating?

eaiouxs

I have been stuck in a cycle of stress eating and dieting before. I feel another wave of it coming, and today I definitely went overboard with how many sweet bars/food itn general I consumed. I don't want to go through that again. I feel awful, and I don't know how to help myself. I can't eliminate my sources of stress and worrying about my eating habits seems to adding onto the trouble. Please help!

pinggolfer96

Find other outlets and habits to perform when that stress kicks in. Also, what is the source of stress. Finding the underlying cause is usually a better solution than finding something to comfort yourself with. Go to the roots

estherdragonbat

Stepping up my exercise has really helped me on that front.

Diatonic12

Learn to surf the urges. Urge Surfing.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-one-simple-thing-urge-surfing-1012-20161010-story.html

Simply ride the wave of the urge. Do the full tilt boogie, ride that wave. It might take 5-15 minutes but it will leave. Eliminating thrill eating is liberating. But make sure you are not undereating. The body wants to make up for undereating by overeating.

147Me

eaiouxs wrote: »

I have been stuck in a cycle of stress eating and dieting before. I feel another wave of it coming, and today I definitely went overboard with how many sweet bars/food itn general I consumed. I don't want to go through that again. I feel awful, and I don't know how to help myself. I can't eliminate my sources of stress and worrying about my eating habits seems to adding onto the trouble. Please help!

For a long time, I had a problem with stress eating as well (sweets & baked goods are my weakness).

After I truly came to terms with how my body responds to sugary foods and large meals, it was easier to say "no" to them, even when I was feeling stressed out.
They make my body feel terrible and kept me from losing weight. I guess I just got really fed up with that.

It wasn't easy to change either because it had been my habit for at least a decade.
In the beginning, I had to have these little arguments with myself about what I wanted more:
A ) to get healthy & fit or
B ) eat everything I want, regardless of portion sizes.

Nowadays, I relieve my unavoidable stress in others ways: with tea, hugs, gardening, cat-cuddles, walks outside, etc.
Or at least I try to. I mean, there are some days when nothing eases the stress and I just have to accept it until the next day.

Don't give up. Forgive yourself for going overboard today.

losergood2011

Stress eating - someone told me that it wasn't really stress eating it was that we are people who really love food and turn to it to self medicate.

First - you have to STOP the thought process. I know what you mean when you say "I feel another wave coming" often it is too late then. Your mind is already in that mode. Afterwards - just STOP think and analyze. What triggered it - with me it is not eating breakfast, choosing to drive by fast food when I know I am feeling that wave, going to the store when I am feeling that wave.

If I can STOP it before it become s a wave good - if not I have to surf through it. Let it go and walk to the beach after the crash.

I now only binge one or two days instead of a week - that is HUGE. Sometimes! Only one evening!!!

Be aware - pay attention to triggers and take care of yourself when you know those triggers are coming (family stress, work stress, negative or positive stress from a promotion - moving - wedding - ) and plan for it.

You can do it - it may not entirely go away but you can improve.

COGypsy

If you know that a stressful event or period is coming up, make a plan now for how you'll deal with it--before you're in the throes of things. When I know there are stressors on the horizon, I figure out ways I can juggle things. If it's an ongoing thing like my busy season at work, I figure out ways I can simplify other areas of my life. I send out my laundry for a couple of weeks, stock up on crock pot meals and food I can deal with quickly, or be sure to make plans for a few quick, fun things like brunch with a friend or an afternoon of Netflix.

I find that I'll generally execute a plan if I have one, but if I'm just improvising I'll snack mindlessly until I'm miserable or totally pig out on whatever comfort food I think I "deserve" for all my stress.

kshama2001

eaiouxs wrote: »

I have been stuck in a cycle of stress eating and dieting before. I feel another wave of it coming, and today I definitely went overboard with how many sweet bars/food itn general I consumed. I don't want to go through that again. I feel awful, and I don't know how to help myself. I can't eliminate my sources of stress and worrying about my eating habits seems to adding onto the trouble. Please help!

I endeavor to self medicate with exercise these days. Regular exercise in general and extra when things are especially stressful.

However, I wanted to make sure you are getting enough calories and sleep, and lack of either isn't causing this. If under-eating led to the sweet bars binge, don't add exercise without fueling your workouts.

kommodevaran

Is the dieting causing the stress? How large a deficit are you aiming for? Do you eliminate any foods or food groups?

kshama2001

Mari22na wrote: »

Learn to surf the urges. Urge Surfing.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-one-simple-thing-urge-surfing-1012-20161010-story.html

Simply ride the wave of the urge. Do the full tilt boogie, ride that wave. It might take 5-15 minutes but it will leave. Eliminating thrill eating is liberating. But make sure you are not undereating. The body wants to make up for undereating by overeating.

Yoga for Emotional Flow (How to Ride the Wave of) is a CD about using yoga for emotions that seem unmanageable.

There aren't any actual yoga postures:

- CD 1 is about yoga philosophy and modern psychology. (The author is also a psychotherapist in addition to being an amazing yoga teacher and writer. I've taken several of his workshops and have two of his books.)

- CD 2 is comprised of three guided meditations which build on what was taught in CD 1.

I listen to CD 1 when I'm at the dentist and use CD 2 during high stress periods.

ITUSGirl51

1) Exercise does help! It makes you feel good about yourself.

2) I’m very familiar with over eating due to stress. I’ve learned that it’s a lot about impulse control. I eat it impulsively and tell myself I won’t think about how this makes me feel (after the brief feel good it gives me). I decided I wanted to be a better person and a better role model and control my impulse to overeat better. There are consequences to being impulsive and for me it was getting obese. 73 lbs down and pretty much at goal (maybe 2 more lbs). This thought process helped me a lot.

JeromeBarry1

Thank you. I saw the opening post and proceeded to get up and use my cardio exercise machine for an hour. That is what I suggest you do when you have a craving to eat something you shouldn't hadn't planned in advance.