Stress Eating Tips?

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jackiesteinlicht
jackiesteinlicht Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am kind of a stress ball and am not very great at handling my stress. My husband has noticed and mentioned that I tend to overeat when I am stressing out. I still to this day have not found an activity that will keep my mind off stress so I can keep myself from stress eating. I've tried going to the gym, knitting, napping and much more. I have even tried eating healthy snacks when stressed. But it just didn't work because who wants carrots when you can have french fries (which is a much yummier comfort food). What do you do when you are stressed and just want to eat comfort food??? What kind of activities do you do to keep your mind off it??

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  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
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    Sometimes I give in and eat that comfort food, which is part of the reason why I am here to begin with. I am working on this very thing though.

    Have you tried any stress reduction techniques like meditation, guided imagery, deep breathing, journaling, yoga etc? I use a combination of all of the above to lower my stress levels before it reaches the stage of heading to the kitchen. It doesn't always work but I'm making progress.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Exercise...this way, if you stress and eat, you will have already earned the calories beforehand. Another option is to drink water before snacking and you'll snack less.

    I kept a water bottle and sneakers at my desk so when I get stress, I am off for a walk with my water. When I get stress at home, I call up a friend and talk their ears off until the period is over or go for a walk with my water bottle.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    Honestly for me it's less of an issue using MFP because I act like my daily calorie total is the LAW or something, like I don't make it an option to go over...so basically, I can snack if I want to but then I'll have a less satisfying dinner.
  • jackiesteinlicht
    jackiesteinlicht Posts: 6 Member
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    SharonNehring-
    I have tried deep breathing. I guess I am just stubborn and everything I try I get so discouraged when it doesn't work right away. Maybe I will try yoga or meditation. I haven't tried either of those yet.
  • jackiesteinlicht
    jackiesteinlicht Posts: 6 Member
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    Branstin -

    I really like that thought. Just always have sneakers and a bottle of water handy. When I am home and get angry, I tend to just walk out and leave, rain or shine/ day or night. That is a good one!
  • snamuduri
    snamuduri Posts: 5
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    I have a punching bag and boxing gloves in my office... so I visualize the stressful situation and punch the bag real hard. Works wonders every time and if I am still craving food to de-stress, I chew gum.
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
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    Can you just grab your husband and work off some stress with him??? :bigsmile: :blushing: :heart:
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
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    I have a punching bag and boxing gloves in my office... so I visualize the stressful situation and punch the bag real hard. Works wonders every time and if I am still craving food to de-stress, I chew gum.

    This is exactly what I want to get, but I might have to get a speed bag until I can save up for a heavy bag. My first instinct is to run, but it's not always an option. Also, making a flavored hot tea helps, so you're getting the taste and not the calories. I've put sticky notes on the boxes of Cheez Its they keep in the office kitchen, with my name in a red circle with a line through it, to remind myself not to go there. I had gained back almost 40 lbs of cheesy deliciousness through stress eating.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
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    This might be an interesting read for you. Steve Troutman posts on the boards once in a while, and he really knows his stuff.

    https://www.facebook.com/notes/body-improvements-llc/intro-to-emotional-eating/736717716350620
    No matter how you're feeling, you've linked up in your mind that food
    will improve it. And since food does taste very good... since it does
    provide us with nourishment, instant gratification, and it just feels
    good - albeit very temporarily ... it's a self fulfilling cycle. You
    lose sight of the temporariness in the heat of the moment.

    How do you expect to cope with your emotions if you're not really paying
    attention to them - if you're not actually identifying them? Instead,
    you're just "taste testing" them because before you can fully experience
    them, you've already dove right into your automatic eating.

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