how do you cope with stress? does it effect your diet

Three months ago I had an epiphany- I was away for two weeks and - though I ate more junk ( donuts/candy/pizza) in those two weeks than I usually eat - I came home six lb lighter. So I asked myself why am I letting the stresses get to me, why am I letting stress control me. I need to control * it*, not the other way around.

I guess my two main stresses are * my life in general* which is mainly my adult special needs son and my lack of money and inability to move and get better job, and my job. So I'm slowly but surely doing what I cans to accept what I cannot change and fix what I can. Nothing is easy, but the alternative of weighing over 200 lbs and having high bp and bad cholesterol aren't easy either. And weirdly enough, now ( in this past month since I've started here) I have tons more energy due to my better managing my exercise and food, so work is, actually, more fun and effective which means that I am doing less 'eating out of boredom' at work. On Thursday I was so busy that I skipped my afternoon snack- that never happens! I'm always counting the minutes till I can eat again!

So basicaly - keep busy and deal with the triggers, either accept the problems in your life or fix them

**Flashback**
I would get stressed and inhale every fattening, salty, sweet, delicious thing in sight.
I would leave those sessions (after the high wore off) with overwhelming guilt and depression and overall weight gain.


**Flash Forward**

If I try to "eat my stress" it totally doesnt work. I was shocked the first time I tried and failed. I was sitting there, in my car, empty McDonalds food wrappers in my lap, crying my eyes out because I was stuffed full of sodium and genetically modified food and I still felt like crap. Where was my high?
UGH
But NOW I listen to music, loudly
I sing, loudly (off key)
I dance, terribly
I walk, fast
I write in my journal or I write letters to myself or to whoever it was that hurt me
I pray
I hug people (anyone who is near me, but my kids are the best huggers)
And, if I need to, I cry

But food doesn't work anymore. I am kind of relieved because my past binges were a huge part of my weight gain.

I Run..............and run............and run some more.

Having lots of sex generally helps with stress I find.

My reaction to lots of stress was wine and chocolate a few months ago.
Thankfully, I've been able to re-program my habits.
Now if it is "angry" kind of stress I do some kickboxing, and if it "upset" kinda stressed I go for a long walk and pray.
I have to say, that both make me feel way better than the wine and chocolate used to.

Stress. Meh, I shut down food wise, I eat nothing.

I react that way when I'm super-stressed -- the kind of situation where you literally don't have time to eat or drink and feel guilty going to the bathroom. When I'm moderately stressed, I'm usually bored as well and I sometimes overeat. That's why I try to keep my weight low. So things never get crazily out of hand.

I have a multi-day food-filled family event coming up soon and at first my goal was to lose some weight. But in the proceeding weeks I have a great deal of stressful, dull work. I realize it's probably unrealistic for me to try to lose weight AND work during that time, something has to give. I've revised my goal to try to work out three or four times a week at the gym, to not do too much damage with stress eating, and to try not to gain weight before the event.