Tips for stress eating?

I dont eat because I'm stressed but when i'm stressed and its time to eat I tend not to give a crap about what I eat. Any tips, hints, tricks, or advice? One of my friends had a mantra that she would say over and over again when she got overwhelmed but I'm not sure if that would work for me. I really want this time to be the time that I stick with it and actually get healthy. TIA!!

Replies

  • Plan your meals. Prepare your meals. Do it in advance. Include some emergency healthy snacks in that perpetration.
  • Plan your meals. Prepare your meals. Do it in advance. Include some emergency healthy snacks in that perpetration.

    I guess I need to start doing that. Thanks :) I have tried to plan my meals before but not prepare them.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    Hot fudge sundae is the correct strategy for stress eating
  • Don't provide yourself the meals that aren't going to help you out. Also... chewing gum or having a cup of milk or water before eating the meal will help your body chill out and rethink a poor meal choice.
  • Hot fudge sundae is the correct strategy for stress eating

    Hahaha that has been my theory so far :) unfortunatly it landed me at morbidly obese.
  • Justjamie0418
    Justjamie0418 Posts: 1,065 Member
    100 calorie popcorn bags! It seems like your eating a lot! (it's helped me anyway)
  • Don't provide yourself the meals that aren't going to help you out. Also... chewing gum or having a cup of milk or water before eating the meal will help your body chill out and rethink a poor meal choice.

    I have been trying to get rid of anything in the house that could be tempting to over indulge. I have a husband and two kids though, do I try and change snacks or tell them to suck it up?
  • 100 calorie popcorn bags! It seems like your eating a lot! (it's helped me anyway)

    I dont like popcorn though. Are there any other 100 calorie packs like that that have a bit in them?
  • I dont keep food in my house that I know is not good for me.. I also plan my meals ahead for the most part. I am a mood eater though so at times its hard but im getting better. :happy:
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    In all seriousness...I'm not going to pretend like I'm perfect, b/c I'm not. But what has helped for me personally.

    1. Excercising regularly. GOod weight workout and cardio and I'm like "What is stress?" When this starts slipping I find stress eating coming back.
    2. Not having forbidden foods but allowing them regularly in moderation. Tends to help with the "I'm stressed, I know I'm never eating sugar again, but I deserve this because I'm stressed mentality." I've been there. Allowing a 200 nightly snack of rainbow sherbert (which I had tonight) and I don't need to cheat on bad good b/c I'm already having some.
    3. Buy those portion control things. 100 calorie packs of snacks. So if u stress eat, its 100 calories or 200 or 300. Its not a 1500 calorie pint of ben and jerrys.
    4. My job stressed me out to no end so I got a new one. Not always possible, but I've been able to lose about 30 lbs since changing jobs within my company. Not sure if I was still always stressed if it would have been possible (maybe so, who knows).
  • JJordon
    JJordon Posts: 857 Member
    Total your k/cals.

    Plan five to six meals. Eat every two to three hours.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    THere is 100 calorie portions for every snack food imaginable.
  • In all seriousness...I'm not going to pretend like I'm perfect, b/c I'm not. But what has helped for me personally.

    1. Excercising regularly. GOod weight workout and cardio and I'm like "What is stress?" When this starts slipping I find stress eating coming back.
    2. Not having forbidden foods but allowing them regularly in moderation. Tends to help with the "I'm stressed, I know I'm never eating sugar again, but I deserve this because I'm stressed mentality." I've been there. Allowing a 200 nightly snack of rainbow sherbert (which I had tonight) and I don't need to cheat on bad good b/c I'm already having some.
    3. Buy those portion control things. 100 calorie packs of snacks. So if u stress eat, its 100 calories or 200 or 300. Its not a 1500 calorie pint of ben and jerrys.
    4. My job stressed me out to no end so I got a new one. Not always possible, but I've been able to lose about 30 lbs since changing jobs within my company. Not sure if I was still always stressed if it would have been possible (maybe so, who knows).

    Thank you that helps a lot. Like I said, my problem isnt I want to eat when I'm stressed, its that I give up and just dont feel like making good food, I feel like being lazy and snacking on whatever I feel like or going even easier and just ordering a pizza or whatever. Tonight I cut up a bunch of veggies and put them in ziploc bags so all I have to do is grab one for snacks and I also diced up certain veggies so if I dont feel like really doing a lot of cooking I have some diced that I can pour in to a pan. Im really hoping this helps. Thank you so much for your input.
  • Justjamie0418
    Justjamie0418 Posts: 1,065 Member
    100 calorie popcorn bags! It seems like your eating a lot! (it's helped me anyway)

    I dont like popcorn though. Are there any other 100 calorie packs like that that have a bit in them?

    not more than popcorn! I don't like popcorn either but I eat it when I want a lot of a snack lol! Or I eat pretzels. Or a skinny cow ice cream. I am still fat at heart LOL

    oh also. the steamers with veggies and cheese.. I love cheese and this is about the only time I get it. for one whole bag of broccoli and cheese its like 145 calories and 5 gs of fat.
  • good topic! i am very new here good to see im not alone :)

  • oh also. the steamers with veggies and cheese.. I love cheese and this is about the only time I get it. for one whole bag of broccoli and cheese its like 145 calories and 5 gs of fat.

    Oooh good idea! I will deffinatly have to pick up some of those steamers. I usualy do rice, beans, and a little salsa but the cheesy ones sound like a really good idea.
  • good topic! i am very new here good to see im not alone :)

    I sent you a friend request :) Hopefully we can encourage each other!
  • Justjamie0418
    Justjamie0418 Posts: 1,065 Member
    Oh and if you can get low fat or nulti grain tortilla chips.. I *think* its healthy choice or smart ones has a rices/cheese/bean microwave meal you can use a naco dip... I add hot sauce. ;)
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    I hear ya...What I'm learning is when you get in those moods, and feel like not preparing your normal super healthy dish and u just want to veg out, that's ok to go for something easier. BUT! When you do, don't give up on the controlling your intake part.

    Personal example: When I was gaining weight, Friday night comes, I don't feel like cooking chicken breast or making a protein smoothie on Friday. Let's order papa johns and I'll throw down half a pizza. 3 meat of course. Ranch? Yea ranch sounds pretty good. Can't have pizza without some ranch. It's my cheat day after all ya da ya da..Probably threw down 2000 calories and was well on my way to erasing any progress I made during the week.

    What I'll do now? Buy a six pack of those tombstone personal deep dish pizzas. 400-440 calories for one. Pop one of those bad boys in the oven and I'm still able to stay within my calorie goal but also have an easy meal.

    Find some of those options, but focus on hitting your calorie goal. Is it the healthiest choice I could have made? No the ideal choice is for me to be a cyborg and only desire chicken and brocolli(cyborgs eat chicken and brocolli). But it is far healthier than ending up binging on something else.
  • Reza151
    Reza151 Posts: 517 Member
    Don't provide yourself the meals that aren't going to help you out. Also... chewing gum or having a cup of milk or water before eating the meal will help your body chill out and rethink a poor meal choice.

    I have been trying to get rid of anything in the house that could be tempting to over indulge. I have a husband and two kids though, do I try and change snacks or tell them to suck it up?

    You can keep junk in the house but make it more inaccessible. Like, put junk food in a cabinet that you don't normally access, that might be out of reach and contains old appliances that you no longer use. You can also put the junk at the far back of the fridge or cabinet and block it from your line of vision with other objects.


    What's helped me is if I STUFF myself with water. If I think I'm hungry but know that I'm not, and that it's fake hunger due to boredom or other emotions, I drink several cups of water and tea (i flavor the water with lemon juice and artifical water flavorings) until I feel bloated. Usually 2-4 glasses
  • Diahann_Hughes
    Diahann_Hughes Posts: 58 Member
    Distraction is the best way for me :) I go to the gym and you dont think about eating :) Drink water first too or I always pull out the old photos massive distraction xxx
  • Oh and if you can get low fat or nulti grain tortilla chips.. I *think* its healthy choice or smart ones has a rices/cheese/bean microwave meal you can use a naco dip... I add hot sauce. ;)

    Mmm I have been on a hot sauce kick lately so that would be awesome :)
  • I hear ya...What I'm learning is when you get in those moods, and feel like not preparing your normal super healthy dish and u just want to veg out, that's ok to go for something easier. BUT! When you do, don't give up on the controlling your intake part.

    Personal example: When I was gaining weight, Friday night comes, I don't feel like cooking chicken breast or making a protein smoothie on Friday. Let's order papa johns and I'll throw down half a pizza. 3 meat of course. Ranch? Yea ranch sounds pretty good. Can't have pizza without some ranch. It's my cheat day after all ya da ya da..Probably threw down 2000 calories and was well on my way to erasing any progress I made during the week.

    What I'll do now? Buy a six pack of those tombstone personal deep dish pizzas. 400-440 calories for one. Pop one of those bad boys in the oven and I'm still able to stay within my calorie goal but also have an easy meal.

    Find some of those options, but focus on hitting your calorie goal. Is it the healthiest choice I could have made? No the ideal choice is for me to be a cyborg and only desire chicken and brocolli(cyborgs eat chicken and brocolli). But it is far healthier than ending up binging on something else.


    Hahaha never knew cyborgs were so healthy. I always thought they feasted on the dying dreams of civilization. But ya that makes a lot of sense, I guess I need to focus on having stuff like that around. My biggest problem lately has been that I just give up and go eat out. I have been struggling to lose and re-lose the same 8 lbs since my son was born 8 months ago.
  • Distraction is the best way for me :) I go to the gym and you dont think about eating :) Drink water first too or I always pull out the old photos massive distraction xxx

    Stress doesnt make me want to eat, it makes it so I dont care enough to prepare healthy food.