stress eating.

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angeleyes527
angeleyes527 Posts: 31
in Motivation and Support
Has anyone out there successfully curbed stress eating. I have had a really horrible week and consciously realized I was stress eating and did it anyway. I never did this before but the last couple years this is how I deal with stress even though i try other methods ( exercise, blast music ect) Help this is my monster to defeat!!!!!!

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  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
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    I've never been much of a stress eater, but it happens to me occasionally. Try keeping some healthy snacks on hand to grab when you feel the urge to just graze. I like grapes, carrots and celery sticks, grape tomatoes, and blueberries. These are small and easily munched from a small bowl. If you're really craving something sugary, the Quaker mini rice cakes aren't too bad of a choice if you can resist eating the whole bag! Best thing is to never eat directly from the bag - always transfer a serving to a small bowl ( I use small glass custard cups) before eating, and put the original container back in the cupboard. Chew slowly and really make each bite last. Another favorite of mine (although you have to limit these) is mini dark chocolate morsels. I tablespoon of them, eaten one at a time and slowly melted in your mouth, can really curb my sugar cravings. Good luck!
  • FemininGuns
    FemininGuns Posts: 605 Member
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    Since I cut out most dairy (replaced cow milk with almond milk) and no sugar (use stevia for sweetning, don't use ketchup or any other condiments except 1 tbsp low fat miracle whip) I haven't done stress eating. I also use to do emotional eating - especially when I'm tired. Another thing I am staying away from is starchy foods. I don't eat white potatoes or white pasta (I actually eat brown rice pasta) and I eat Ezeikel Bread instead of whole grains/whole wheat. So for me, I know it's important to get good sleep and stay away from the sugar and starchy carbs. It's fun to live craving-free!!!
  • cischo104
    cischo104 Posts: 28 Member
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    Hey hun, I am an anxiety sufferer and if you have any idea what that is like you'll know that i am constantly stressed! My doctor prescribed me a low dose xanex for emergency use and those seem to help in severe cases. Try finding out the root of what is causing all this stress for you. Also try meditating or more yoga! Those seem to help me relax also breathing excercises. Then when you feel more calmed down start to excercise or go outside for a walk, the fresh air mat do some good for you. Please do me a favor and try to find the cause of your stress and weed it out, if you stress for to long it can lead to panic attacks and GAD which is what I go through and I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy!! Hope this helped some. :)
  • angeleyes527
    angeleyes527 Posts: 31
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    great ideas, usually when i stress eat i crave something sweet. I like the dark choc idea. i bought chocolate cheerios and that seems to help kill the craving, i just need to be deciplined and portion. thanks for responding.
  • angeleyes527
    angeleyes527 Posts: 31
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    So true i went a year without sugar and starches and felt amazing and lost 40 lbs. It was hard to do but I started by eliminating anything with high fructose corn syrup.
  • pauldbarnhart
    pauldbarnhart Posts: 5,999 Member
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    I'm not sure there's any "magic bullet" for stress - but the best thing is to realize that stress is not caused by any outside forces. We actually cause the stress by worrying/fretting/getting upset about things that are absolutely out of our control.

    We need to learn to act like ducks in the rain - just let it roll off our backs and keep on doing whatever we were doing. When we make a concious effort to stop worrying or getting upset about things that we can't control, this will create a huge reduction in our stress levels.

    My biggest cause of stress is work related - when I feel like I can never get caught up - there's always more work than there is available time in the day. I'm learning to just do my very best, and let it go. If I don't finish everything today, I'll work on it tomorrow. This doesn't mean I slack off, but it does mean that at the end of the work day, I shift gears. I stop worrying about what's going to happen. I did my best, and it's obvious I've been working hard. The boss knows when there's more work than 1 human can possibly accomplish in a day. I can't change that fact, so why worry about it.

    I know, it's a lot easier to say "don't worry about it", than to actually stop worrying about it. But the fact is, there is NOTHING that can be gained by worrying about anything. It just adds stress to yourself.

    Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? (Matthew 6:27)

    Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)
  • angeleyes527
    angeleyes527 Posts: 31
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    Cischo I appreciate you sharing your anxiety with me. I agree with you and do need to find the root of my stress. I know the contributing factors. Im the kind of person that is there for everyone and helps everyone but deals with all catasrophies alone and think of myself last. Im trying to change that but its soooooo hard to do. I have a hard time saying no and will alway overextend myself to help others. Its really wearing me down. However I stay up beat and positive and hide it very well.:flowerforyou:
  • amyfly
    amyfly Posts: 137
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    Two things have helped me curb stress eating:
    1. Try to wait 15-20 before indulging when the urge to stress eat comes over you - do anything you can to distract yourself just for those few minutes (walking helps) - often the initial panic that makes us run for the food will ease in those few minutes making it easier to resist eating. This gets easier with practice.

    2. When you feel that you can't beat the urge to stress eat try eating half as much as you normally would - sometimes it is easier to break bad eating habits gradually and this way when you do stress eat you only have half the guilt!:)
  • ammknits
    ammknits Posts: 9
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    My monster, too. Angeleyes!
    I find the more I notice that I am stress eating, the more I decide I don't care and just keep making bad choices. All those healthy choices are fabulous, and they work to some degree, but once I start thinking about having to make a healthy choice about what I'm stress eating, my stress is even worse. And of course, that spoiled brat kicks in, and decides "I'm not gonna.........., and you can't make me.........." (add whiny dragged on tone)
    I'm slipping into that now with bill paying issues, that just have to be worked out slowly, but keep rearing their ugly heads. So I'm having trouble feeling like "that is settled, what's next" cuz it isn't settled, it's just at bay for the time being.
    So breakfast wasn't very healthy, boss is buying lunch (he only goes one place and you can only order specific things) then off to family entertaining meals all weekend, while we try to figure out which bills will get paid with next weeks check. :-(
    Guess I'll volunteer to take kids for walks as often as possible. Hmmmm, that might actually work. I wonder if I can kick myself into motion regularly???? Anyway, thanks for letting me chat. :-)
  • cischo104
    cischo104 Posts: 28 Member
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    sweet heart you remind me SO much of someone I know...ME! I'm the exact same way but over the years I've learned that your just as important as everyone else. How can you help others if you can't help yourself. Think about it that way. Sometimes you just have to say no. People will always need help so there is always going to be someone out there who needs you. Your health and well being should come first! I love that you used that bible verse from mathew. That very same verse is what kept me strong through all my worst anxiety and my mother strong through her breast cancer. Keep that verse close to your heart and always know that instead of stressing through everything PRAY about ALL things!! When ever you feel like you want to stress eat pray for strength and I'll be praying for you as well!
  • angeleyes527
    angeleyes527 Posts: 31
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    Pauldbarnhart thank you for that, it really hit home. I just wrote the quote and will read it every morning. I have met some great people on this site. Thanks to all of you.
  • angeleyes527
    angeleyes527 Posts: 31
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    Any time Ammknits.....I think we just have to look to some of the great ideas and people on this site. It makes you realize that your issues are struggles for many people. Scroll up to Pauldbarnharts comment and copy his quote its really inspirational. Im here for you if your monster starts to rear her ugly head send me a message.
  • 1Corinthians13
    1Corinthians13 Posts: 5,296 Member
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    I'm a binger/purger. Yup, that's me. My doctor actually gave me Percoset which for some reasons helps me curb my desire to binge.

    I don't know that I binged when stressed, but I binged when alone or ... I don't know. There wasn't always a reason. Or not a reason I can nail down.

    But, what helps me is to know my trigger foods. For me, it's mostly chips. So when I want chips, I buy the fat-free Pringles. Also, it helped when I cut out most of my carbs. Now I don't crave them at all. I don't eat bread or pasta or rice...unless I'm eating sushi. Then I'll eat rice. For some reason, cutting them out completely had helped my desire to binge.

    I still have problems once in awhile, but I'm seeing a psychologist to work them out. Which reminds me I need to make an appointment.

    I don't know if this helped at all. My situation is slightly different from yours. I would say to keep any trigger foods out of the house completely. Replace them with healthy things. Maybe water or, sometimes for me, flavored water - gives me a different taste but no calories.

    Good luck sweetie!
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    Sorry hun, can't assist on this one. I STOP eatting when stressed. I lived in starvation mode for years because of this. Now I am bringing my metabolism up by eatting every 4 hours... sometimes I have to set a timer. Amazing what the body will do under stress. Do the best you can! Good Luck!

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