Alternatives to Stress Eating

Boingo1
Boingo1 Posts: 205 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I get anxious/nervous in times of stress. It seems the only thing that calms that feeling is stuffing food in my mouth.

I'm looking for good alternatives to relieve stress without food. I'm looking for do-able ideas.

I already work out, so that's not a fix. Usually happens when I can't just leave and go for a walk. I know those are popular ones.

Anything else work for you?

Replies

  • Boingo1
    Boingo1 Posts: 205 Member
    wow! No one? that sucks! LOL!
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Well, no answers maybe because I think generally exercise is the best answer for me. Do something to keep busy.
    Chew sugarless gum?
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Meditation? Go for a walk (not necessarily exercise, but a slow meander outside in the sunlight)? Distraction always seems to work well for me when anxious too; read a book or watch a movie.
  • aStrongerSteph
    aStrongerSteph Posts: 161 Member
    LOL I get online and go to mfp...I must be stressed A LOT!
  • Kaathmandu
    Kaathmandu Posts: 129
    Hey Boingo :-)
    I know what you mean - my response to almost any emotion is to eat!
    The thing with stress is that the body produces adrenaline, to get ready for "fight or flight" - very useful if your stress is caused by approaching Tyrannosaurus rex - not so helpful in lots of our modern work situations. But if you can go for a walk, or run up and down a flight of stairs, or some such energetic thing, you use the adrenaline and feel better. If you can go get something to eat, you can take the walk and not the food. Doesn't have to be a full workout session - ten minutes of star jumping in the Ladies will probably do it - and you may get a giggle out of feeling ridiculous and laughter always reduces stress.
    Other than that, have celery sticks on hand so that if you have to eat, it is not going to do much damage.
    Good luck!
    :-)
  • tladame
    tladame Posts: 465 Member
    Video games! My 3-year-old downloaded 2 apps (without my knowledge) onto my Nook, and bless her, I'm now hopelessly addicted to them! If you don't have a device to download apps, you can play them online. They are a great stress-buster, and they take up enough time that you forget everything else for a while. It definitely keeps me occupied. Reading helps me too.
  • richfaber
    richfaber Posts: 31 Member
    I use a fire extinguisher approach with a food that is not very dense in calories and I can eat a lot of. Egg whites is huge. You can dress it up with a little cheese and spices. I challenge you to eat 210 calories of egg whites at a sitting (one container). V8 low sodium is another good one, down a can and all is better again. Apples are portable as are bananas. Stay away from fat and salt on the snacks.

    Also remember that 99% of the things we worry about never, never happen. Let it all go and focus on a few important things you can actually influence.
  • newmein2013
    newmein2013 Posts: 674 Member
    Start a project that you can pick up & put down anytime.

    Read a book

    Write a poem

    Start a weight loss journal with your emotions, successes, setbacks, etc.

    Listen to music

    Call a friend or relative you haven't spoken to in a while

    Look through cookbooks or online recipes

    Look up some exercises online that might be new to you or you've been wanting to try

    Take some progress pics
  • Zomoniac
    Zomoniac Posts: 1,169 Member
    Crywank.
  • erinnstreeter
    erinnstreeter Posts: 82 Member
    This is going to sound so 1950's housewife, but - when I have uncontrollable urges to eat, I go brush my teeth. Something about the mint and having clean teeth dissuades me from wanting to eat. Now, if I'm truly hungry, this won't stop me from eating; but it does help me figure out when I'm just bored or stressed as opposed to actually in need of food.

    Some of my friends drink a green and mint tea combination, and that seems to help them.

    When I'm stressed, things like reading, exercise, and massage help, too.
  • CarmenSRT
    CarmenSRT Posts: 843 Member
    If only back slapping the person causing the stress were legal, but alas....:laugh:
  • Lize11e
    Lize11e Posts: 419
    Something that was working for me that I have to get back to doing is analyzing WHY I want to eat. Google Roger Gould, he talks about emotional eating and offers enough free information to help. For a while I would follow his steps which (basically) are:

    1. Am I really physically hungry? If no, go to #2.
    2. Why do I want to eat? Last night for me it was because I was cold and wanted hot soup. A better alternative would have been a cup of hot tea.
    3. What could I do to help this feeling other than eating? This one is personal to you. Could be get up and do some housework, could be call and talk to a friend, anything really to get your mind off of the emotional hunger.
  • betoarango
    betoarango Posts: 222 Member
    This is going to sound so 1950's housewife, but - when I have uncontrollable urges to eat, I go brush my teeth. Something about the mint and having clean teeth dissuades me from wanting to eat.

    LOL Never thought of it that way, but when I want to stop eating for the night i brush my teeth and feel no cravings or hunger...
  • Boingo1
    Boingo1 Posts: 205 Member
    Thanks all. Very very helpful!!!
  • Boingo1
    Boingo1 Posts: 205 Member
    Except for :

    "Crywank"

    Because I do not know the meaning...

    LOL
  • AmyJMadison
    AmyJMadison Posts: 143 Member
    Yep the reading thing is good... keep a novel in the pantry and tell yourself you can ONLY read it standing at the kitchen sink like you would when you were sneaking a treat! So you sneak in the kitchen... open the pantry which is part of the habit already but walk away with 2 more pages in your head instead of a snack. You get your treat and zero cals.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    I took up hand sewing quilt pieces one can not sew with sticky fingers.
  • Siobhan1983
    Siobhan1983 Posts: 24
    I love to munch at night. To stop this I've started drinking tea.

    I have a cup or two of Vanilla Tea (0 cals) with Splenda (0 cals) and a tbsp International Delight Hazelnut Cream (40 cals)

    The creamy sweetness of it makes it like a treat for me, and I look forward to my cup of tea every night while I watch TV after dinner. I drink it super hot so it takes a long tome to drink, and once I am done a cup or two, it seems to satisfy my craving.

    This may help when you are feeling stressed out.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Except for :

    "Crywank"

    Because I do not know the meaning...

    LOL

    Masturbating while crying
  • kayraven
    kayraven Posts: 7
    Play games on your phone
    Go online read smth about diets, nutrition, healthy LS, clean eating
    And there's my personal favorite - Thinspo. I mean, I look at a skinny/fit girls' photo and I am not hungry anymore instantly.
  • PermissionGranted
    PermissionGranted Posts: 203 Member
    Thanks for this post! Emotional eating is my biggest down fall. Now, thanks to MFP and you guys i think about why im eating before i eat. I think i need a regimen especially after 7pm when it comes to eating. I'm thinking a bottle of water, hot cup of tea then crystal light. If I'm still hungry then ill have a low cal snack. Definitely shouldn't still be hungry after that :)
  • lee9km
    lee9km Posts: 1
    Chew a piece of gum, drink a cup of coffee, read a nice book, go to the store (not the grocery store though!). I like to just take my mind off of the food and be productive.
  • Tashymash
    Tashymash Posts: 41 Member
    I personally find a few things help. I am a typical stress eater, comfort eater, and tbh i sometimes want to eat when i'm really happy also! But i find a few good things can sometimes help when i feel stressed. Many people have already said but i just decided to put forth a honest and personal answer. Reading often helps me, particularly if its reading something i enjoy. Doing something silly that makes me laugh can occasionally help as a quick fix. I find a good cup of tea is perfect atm- and as i'm drinking herbal teas it is also extremely good for me! Finally i come online and look at MFP or other sites that promote weight loss. This reminds me of my goal and usually puts me right off bingeing :/ Oh and try not to have too much rubbishy food around you if you can, it means when you want to stuff your mouth, there isn't a lot of unhealthy food to binge on.
  • GreatShowdowns
    GreatShowdowns Posts: 4
    I'm a super stress eating. And I think the reason I do it is because I feel like a need a treat of some kind cause I'm going through something or having a rough time. The best coping mechanism I have found to use instead of stress eating is colouring. I know that sounds super cheesy, but who didn't love colouring when they were a kid, and it helps keep my mind off of food and negativity. There are lots of sweet colouring books for adults out there too so you don't feel like such a child.

    http://www.amazon.ca/Adult-Coloring-Books-Papercrafts/b?ie=UTF8&node=943596
  • brittanyholocker
    brittanyholocker Posts: 53 Member
    bump
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    how about addressing the source of the stress?
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
    gum works for me. deep breathing. definitely trying to figure out why i am stressed and trying to deal with that although doesnt always work! sometimes i can get a tootsie pop and that helps.
  • Jluvs3clarks
    Jluvs3clarks Posts: 31
    I guess I am really bad at stress eating as well... I am going back to school to get my AA, so I spend alot of time reading and studying and in the beginning it seems like I would eat my way through something without realizing I would eat it.. In times of emotional stress I would turn to food for comfort. So for me exercising has helped me with both my appetite and my stress. It really has not curbed my need to munch while studying...

    So what I have done was go to the bulk foods department and get a variety of nuts and dried fruits. I build my own trail mix. I then put them in baggies. So I don't have a huge container in front of me. I also have them with me in my bag so when I am out and about and get hungry I can snack on that instead of eating something less healthy.

    Another thing that has really helped me is water! I find if I get my daily water in, I snack less. Good luck, and take care.

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