Dieting and life stress

jwid0808

Just looking for any tips or tricks people have for maintaining your diet through stressful times in your lives. I've tried the cheat meal idea and that seems to derail me more then help. Its extremely hard for me to maintain my motivation while dealing with life stressors.

tinkerbellang83

Find a sustainable way of eating at a deficit, instead of having a cheat day, factor in the foods you like into your normal week. Better to lose weight at a smaller deficit but stick to it throughout what life throws at you, than keep stopping and starting at a higher deficit.

Also work at finding ways to deal with your stress.

pinuplove

Is it everyday stress or unusual circumstances stress? When I went through a stressful time last year (close family member in ICU for several weeks) I ate at maintenance and picked back up after things settled down a bit.

Phirrgus

Pinuplove makes a great point.

Perspective goes a long way for me, but at sometimes I need a friend to help me gain that perspective. Sometimes just getting away, even if only for a 20 minute walk. I'll usually get back to the point where I know that nothing I might do to myself that's unhealthy is going to help in the long run.

Got to remember, "Life" is going to happen regardless of what I do, so why do something in return that only makes it harder in the long run?

I sincerely hope you find your answers.

AnnPT77

jwid0808 wrote: »

Just looking for any tips or tricks people have for maintaining your diet through stressful times in your lives. I've tried the cheat meal idea and that seems to derail me more then help. Its extremely hard for me to maintain my motivation while dealing with life stressors.

Consider other forms of stress management. This may sound harsh, but if the problem isn't nutritional requirements, the best answer isn't eating.

Some that have worked for others of us are exercise, meditation (there are simple non-religious forms like http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/, or there are phone apps), prayer (if religious), counseling, journaling, creative hobbies, massages, non-food self-soothing like music/bubblebaths, indulgent non-food treats like a manicure, etc.

Best wishes! :flowerforyou:

fittocycle

Many years ago, I attended a Weight Watchers meeting during which the leader addressed questions about stress and special occasion challenges. She said simply that there will always be challenges in life and basically, you just had to roll with them. It's funny but we seem to think that just because we're trying to eat healthy, all our weight loss challenges should magically disappear!
Personally, I deal with stress through exercise and yoga. It centers me and gives me peace about what I can control, rather than what I can't.