Stress Eater

missmandilynnnn
missmandilynnnn Posts: 1
edited November 10 in Introduce Yourself
So by no means do I think I'm fat.
But I am the heaviest I've ever been yet and gaining. The past year was extremely hard for me and I started stress eating and not really realizing how bad it got. I went to the doctor about a week ago and saw that I had gained twenty pounds in less than half a year and knew I needed to change before going down a bad path.
That's when I found this app and it has been amazing. Whenever I'm stressed or anxious I stress eat. Lots of chocolate and lots of caffeine and empty calories. After tracking what I'm eating I'm shocked at how much junk I eat. But this is hard! I struggle with staying away from bad food especially when stressed. And when I don't eat my comfort foods I find myself being negative or in a bad mood.
Anyone have any tips for the journey? Does this get easier?

Replies

  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    Congrats on finding us and taking this step toward getting control of your health.

    One thing you can do is exercise instead of eating. It doesn't have to be something major...take a walk. Do some jumping jacks. Do squats while watching TV. Exercise is a HUGE stress reliever, and can be better than medication at treating depression. If you have access to a punching bag or something along those lines, that's even better.

    Another thing you can do, when you start to feel hungry/like binging, is to drink a big glass of water and wait. Tell yourself that if you're still hungry in 20 minutes, then you might have something. And stick to that.

    You can also try distracting yourself. Get involved in something that requires using your hands. Take up crochet while you watch TV, do a crossword, play a game on your phone, whatever it takes. Just get your hands and mind busy.

    You can also distract yourself with some pampering. Take a bubble bath, do a mani/pedi and a facial. It's hard to eat when you have a mud mask on.

    And finally, set yourself up for success with a food scale, and some pre-portioned treats that have a reasonable amount of calories. For example, Blue Diamond makes some pretty sumptuous flavored almonds, like vanilla, dark chocolate, and blueberry. They have a dusty powder coating instead of a thick, chocolaty coating. You can use the scale to weigh out portions and put them in little baggies, and then they're ready to grab when you just have to have something. Single serving packages of treats you have to have are great. Finding replacements for the things you don't have to have is also great...using hard boiled eggs, avocados, maybe a little caprese (tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, maybe a little balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper), nut butter on fruit like an apple or pear...think healthy fats, protein and fiber. Those are the things that make you feel full.

    Good luck!
  • donna13mela
    donna13mela Posts: 2 Member
    Hi! I have a similar problem to yours, stress and boredom eating. I tend to go for chocolate and other snacks when I'm procrastinating on some important task. I'm still struggling with this habit but have made significant improvements. Here's what's worked for me:
    1. It's easier to create new habits than to end old ones - so I try to snack on healthier things like fruit and flavored seaweed (sort of an acquired taste but I LOVE it now and the health benefits are endless!), or mix a little of the unhealthy craving with smthn healthier (an apple with Nutella for example), rather than just telling myself "no". Cold turkey does not work for me, and if I'm going to mindlessly eat a little too mich of something better it be fruit than cake or ice cream.
    2. I try to make sure that my urge to snack isn't coming from a deeper issue, like my anxieties over some deadline. If that's the case, I try to work on addressing that deeper issue. The satisfaction I get from doing so often kills the urge to snack.
    3. If I'm snacking out of boredom, I look for other ways to entertain myself, or I do something active because its usually during those idle times that I snack. I go for a jog, dance along to music videos, go window shopping... exercising has the added benefit of reminding me how futile unhealthy eating is when ill just have to work it off later!
    4. Cook more wholesome meals. I don't know if you have the time, but I've found that taking time every day to prepare a real meal reminds me of the true value of food and makes me less likely to put junk in my body. It's also pretty therapeutic.

    These are just a few suggestions. Hope they helped a little and good luck with your journey!!!
  • talieb90
    talieb90 Posts: 41
    I eat from stress too! Sweets, take sways, custard cream biscuits area bad habit! I eat without even realising how much I actually eat.
    I'm a yo yo dieter and always have been but I'm at my heaviest now at 12 and a half stones. I gained just under 2 stones in about 6 months!
    Your definitely not alone!
    Feel free to add me :)
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