Stress = Binging

ChellebyGirl
ChellebyGirl Posts: 6
in Motivation and Support
Hi all. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to deal with stress and the food weaknesses that come with it? I have a very stressful job ('as do we', I hear you cry ), but on top of that I have a very difficult boss. As a result I will often go on a binge when I get home, which is easy for me to do as I have a good 45 minutes of alone time in the house before my fiancé gets in from work. Also, if he's had a bad day as well he will often suggest a takeaway as neither of us can be bothered with cooking and just want to relax and unwind. Has anyone faced this type of problem and if so, how did you overcome it? I'm afraid I'm still all too weak when it comes to food temptations and haven't yet worked out how to get that beautiful thing, will power! Thank you for any help you can give me and good luck to you all on your weight loss journeys - I wish you every success xxo

Replies

  • lafilledelarue
    lafilledelarue Posts: 66 Member
    I am sending you a private email. I hope what I say is helpful. :-)
  • RM10003
    RM10003 Posts: 316 Member
    Can you get a workout in on the way home, or at least go out for a walk when you do get home? That'd at least keep you away from the food when no one else is home. I'd also suggest working on a repertoire of easy but nutritious recipes so that you don't resort to the takeway--things like a chicken and veggie stirfry, perhaps. Or you can cook in bulk at the weekend, freeze it, and then have stuff to take out of the freezer in the morning and just heat up when you get home.
  • m0ll3pprz
    m0ll3pprz Posts: 193 Member
    * Bump for future use :-)

    I just want to say that you shouldn't be hard on yourself at all. We all go through it from time to time, some days are better than others. I for one am having one of those days right now :-S The suggestion that I try to follow is: "do what you can to offset the difference on the following day or workout to earn some of the extra cals." Take it one day at a time! I wish you the best of luck too.
  • notnikkisixx
    notnikkisixx Posts: 375 Member
    It sounds like it is time for you to channel all of that frustrated/stressed out energy into workout energy! Instead of heading to the kitchen, go on a run or throw on a workout DVD and sweat it out. After you complete that workout you will be so much less hungry!

    Something that has worked very well for me is that I have stopped buying snacks or convenient foods. When I'm tempted to stress-snack or bored-snack, I'm stopped by the fact that everything I buy requires preparation and does not make for an easy binge.

    Hope that helps!
  • tracyahughes1971
    tracyahughes1971 Posts: 2 Member
    I would suggest going for a brisk walk before eating, because if you have a stressful day. brisk walking relieves a lot of tension, trust me. I had a small stroke last year from feeling the way you do and gained all this weight this past year, but I do know from past experience that brisk walking helped me relieve stress & keep my weight off, I was pretty thin. Binge eating is only going to make your stress worse, & if your boss is stressing you out you need to talk to them because trust me it's not worth you life, getting ill, & losing everything.
  • SuccessHere
    SuccessHere Posts: 240 Member
    Wow you're eating because you have a stressful job and I am eating out of stress because I don't have a job.
  • StephanieMM2013
    StephanieMM2013 Posts: 54
    I have faced, and am in the midst of that problem. I've done better these past few weeks but its been hard without my "abusive lover" (binge eating).

    Remember that you must REPLACE it with something else. Running or walking is an amazing stress reliever, especially accompanied by music. Yoga, lifting... Find something and latch onto it, immerse yourself in it. Often I feel like binge eating is a part of who I am, which is dangerous I think, and its important to find another outlet and make it a part of who your are.

    Good luck!
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    I reccently watched this TED talk on stress. I'm not 100% sure it's completely on point for stress eating but you may find it helpful and it could save your life

    http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend.html
  • ChellebyGirl
    ChellebyGirl Posts: 6
    Thank you so much peeps! Really great ideas that I'm surprised I haven't thought of myself; they all seem such common sense.

    Traceyahughes1 - I'm so sorry to hear of your stroke and how awful for it to have been bought on by the stresses of the modern work place. I hope you are well on the way to recovery and I wish you the best of health for the future.

    Based on all your great advice, I think I will try and use the time alone after work to work out. I'm thinking of either going out for a walk, or maybe even some de-stressing yoga which I can fit in in top of my evening run.

    Good luck all and thanks again. I hope all your journeys a successful ones!

    ** Remember to enjoy today - it's not coming back...**
  • cmeranda79
    cmeranda79 Posts: 15 Member
    A few ideas (that I use a lot when we're in heavy work mode and unhappy):

    1. Write down in advance/photograph what you're about to eat. That often stops me cold from the calorie count/evidence perspective. It's very meta :)

    2. Tell yourself, "I'm going to eat because I'm stressed." right before you do it. That lets you actually consider what you're doing in the future tense, instead of the past.

    3. Stressed + tired = eating whatever is in front of you that looks comforting. I totally agree with notnikki that the absence of snack food in your house will probably help you avoid eating badly just by the path of least resistance. Who wants to go out again for Twizzlers? :)

    4. Give yourself a different treat. For me, that's listening to new music or doing a crossword or getting coffee at a fun place or planning a trip snowboarding or biking somewhere. For you it might be creating a voodoo doll of your boss, lol. Try to make yourself laugh...watch some YouTube blooper videos from your favorite TV shows, etc.

    5. Give in! But eat peanut butter, salami, cheese, things high in fat (and hence satiety) and drink a bunch of water with them.

    6. Make tea/coffee. The ritual is soothing.
  • sweetcurlz67
    sweetcurlz67 Posts: 1,168 Member
    It sounds like it is time for you to channel all of that frustrated/stressed out energy into workout energy! Instead of heading to the kitchen, go on a run or throw on a workout DVD and sweat it out. After you complete that workout you will be so much less hungry!

    ^^^THIS!!!

    I found when I worked out after work it really helped my stress level! Just make sure to have a small snack about an hour or two before your workout. About 3:30 during work, I would have a small snack, then at 5:30 I would be working out!!! When I had to take a week or so off, my stress levels increased. Couldn't WAIT to get back to ittt!!!
  • thegabbleduck
    thegabbleduck Posts: 52 Member
    I can't be much help on the stress eating, cause I do that myself :(

    But with the "Cant be bothered to cook - lets have a takeaway" something I am finding really helpful is the slow cooker I have just bought, whack everything in in the morning before work, and have tasty dinner when you get home :) It has really helped me and my other half cut down on the takeaway foods we eat!
  • Rien5
    Rien5 Posts: 51 Member
    Try finding something to detract yourself from eating out of emotional or physical stress. I go for a walk/ jog,exercise, drink tea, drink water, read a book or talk to someone. Some times though its hard to not run right to the food as an emotional comfort.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    I suggest investing in a good slow cooker, if you don't have one. Put in all the ingredients in the morning before you leave for work, turn on "Low" and you'll have an awesome hot meal waiting for you both when you get home from work.

    It may not necessarily help with the binge eating, but at least it is a deterrent for getting takeout when you're tired and stressed. I actually can't even imagine wanting takeout when there's a pot of hot fresh chili steaming on my counter. :wink:
  • BIRD0
    BIRD0 Posts: 74 Member
    You hold onto your stress all day, and then when you get home, you still hang onto it, resulting in a binge?

    This is going to sound mean, and that is absolutely not my intention, but have you tried therapy? My stress used to be off the charts, and seeing a therapist for an hour every 2-4 weeks really helped. She helped me figure out ways to relax and "get over" things that, in the grand scheme of things, really didn't matter. I am very thankful for the time I spent with her.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Do you drink tea? I find that very relaxing i also meditate
  • ChellebyGirl
    ChellebyGirl Posts: 6
    I tend only to drink water now (used to drink a lot of fizzy drinks though), as I'm not the biggest lover of hot drinks. I do make sure I have a hot water with lemon each morning though as I understand this kick starts your metabolism.

    I just went out yesterday and purchased some bits and bobs for yoga - hoping this will sort a number of things out for me such as stress levels, body toning and to strengthen my back.

    Best of luck and well done on your success to date.

    Michelle :O)
  • ChellebyGirl
    ChellebyGirl Posts: 6
    You hold onto your stress all day, and then when you get home, you still hang onto it, resulting in a binge?

    This is going to sound mean, and that is absolutely not my intention, but have you tried therapy? My stress used to be off the charts, and seeing a therapist for an hour every 2-4 weeks really helped. She helped me figure out ways to relax and "get over" things that, in the grand scheme of things, really didn't matter. I am very thankful for the time I spent with her.

    I have to confess I have never considered therapy, but seeing the good it has done for someone close to me for a different matter, it could make sense to look into this.

    Thanks for the reply and I wish you every success in your journey.

    Michelle :)
  • ChellebyGirl
    ChellebyGirl Posts: 6
    I suggest investing in a good slow cooker, if you don't have one. Put in all the ingredients in the morning before you leave for work, turn on "Low" and you'll have an awesome hot meal waiting for you both when you get home from work.

    It may not necessarily help with the binge eating, but at least it is a deterrent for getting takeout when you're tired and stressed. I actually can't even imagine wanting takeout when there's a pot of hot fresh chili steaming on my counter. :wink:

    What a great idea. I do have a slow cooker sat at the back of my cupboard. It's an especially good time to use it now that we are headed for the colder weather. My tummy is rumbling at the thought of a nice hearty veg stew!!

    Thanks for the post and good luck in your journey.

    Michelle :O)
  • fizzfizz
    fizzfizz Posts: 94 Member
    This is a great thread - just what I needed right now, today! Thanks for starting / and to everyone for sharing folks.

    I KNOW all these ideas, and I don't try ANY of them when temptation strikes so am saving this for later, regular use to remind myself of all the choices.

    Yesterday was a catastrophic stress-binge day ... am unemployed, had a big interview and am packing up my flat to storage as rent too high so I have quite a LOT on .. but the aftermath of eating a lot of rubbish never makes me feel any better but I always forget that when busy in the cupboard!
  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
    Channel that negativity into something productive! Take a walk, do an exercise video, prep a well-balanced dinner, do some laundry. When I have a bad day at work I tend to distract myself with a walk outside or by staying extra busy at home. Keeps me on my feet and out of the pantry!

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