Stress and Staying on Track

TyFit08

I find that whenever I get stressed my diet and workout falls by the wayside. I just have a hard time focusing when there is other drama in my life. Sometimes my diet doesn't necessarily suffer, becauseI may lose my appetite. On the other hand, my workout routine does suffer because I don't have any motivation to do it. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you get passed this

126siany

Yes, it does happen to me. When I am slightly stressed, I tend to want to eat more, but also skip meals (that's due to work schedule) but also to work out more. That sort of balances itself out. I'm so agitated that I HAVE to move. I became a much faster runner due to one bad breakup, actually. LOL

Medium stress, I will overeat and work out less.

Major stress, I just. don't. eat. Then I know it is crisis level.


I think the key to all of this is finding ways to recognize stress and then other ways to manage it. I'm not kidding on recognizing it. Many of us who struggle to manage our weight are chronic pleasers. We spend so much time and effort trying to let other people's crap roll off our backs or prevent it from blowing up that we don't even recognize stress in the early stages. Somehow, our life mission has been diffusing stress in others and we don't even know it when we see it. Technically, we're chronic co-dependents. Stress is like air in a way, so we really don't see it until it is very bad.

But like any problem, tackling it earlier is better than tackling it later, so learning some boundaries helps. Identifying the signs that we're overstressed helps.

Changing the coping methods also helps. Yes, the food will be there, and there is always the option of sitting on the couch instead of working out. But there are other ways of managing stress. Talking to someone (a friend, a therapist). Removing yourself from the situation, temporarily or permanently (if you can). Asking others for help or a break. Reminding yourself of your long-term goals. Sometimes, it is as simple as learning to say "No".

I have no idea if that babbling was of any help to anyone, but obviously I am still working this out myself.