How to not eat due to stress...

Take walks, yoga, tai chi, learn some breathing techniques on youtube. Join a gym with a sauna. Check with a doctor to get some sleep meds for two weeks to get back into a sleep routine.

Log everything you eat and make it a goal to stay in your calories for the day. Eventually you realize that eating more is counterproductive because you have to pay for it with more exercise. And learn to exercise out your stress.

Exercise helps, but do something you enjoy. Also, replace the bad habit with a better one. So if you eat cake for stress, drink a warm tea or something instead. Or take a nice long bubble bath when you need to unwind.

Sometimes even practicing a hobby helps me out.

Agree with Herrspoons. When having too much inner stress, spending those unresolved feelings on muscular stress as in physical activity is a good outlet.

Try different styles. When angry tap into it and let it power your workout even further than normally. Mild stress, calmer stuff like yoga etc. Find what works for you.

Running helps me. Yoga stretches are nice if you don't want to work yourself up i.e. before bed, as I find they help by making me focus on getting the poses right and my body naturally seems to relax. I read a book, paint my nails, call someone; anything to keep you busy for half an hour then usually the compulsion will have passed.

I can get myself quite stressed out too, and 3 of my friends gave me pieces of advice which really helped.

1. When you're running over stuff in your brain, take massive breath in and let it out slowly and forcefully, and think about pushing all of the negative thoughts away and shutting them off. They've had enough time and energy. It sounds silly but it's helped me get to sleep quite a few times!

2. A Polish friend told me a brilliant saying - "not my circus, not my monkeys!". Basically, not my problem, why would I stress about it? Sounds nonsensical but it made me laugh.

3. 'If it can be fixed, there's no need to worry. If it can't be fixed, why worry now?'

I'm not a stress eater, either - stress upsets my stomach. I also get antsy when I'm stressed (or bored, or angry, or lonely - ha ha ha) and anything that gets me out is helpful. If I can't find a workout class soon (and I have a citywide membership to the Y), shopping, going for coffee at Starbucks are good alternatives.

Exercising helps me to minimize stress.

all is well

_runnerbean_ wrote: »

Regular exercise helps me. Also; singing! I'm in a gospel choir and I find the rehearsals are a great stress relief. It regulates breathing and takes my mind off my worries for a few hours. It's also impossible to sing and eat at the same time

This is so true for me too (hence the "sing" in my user name). I love to sing and it relaxes me and gives me a boost. I know there's a huge difference in my mood when we don't have choir.

OP: The way to reduce stress eating is by reducing your stress levels in general. After that, a little bit of willpower goes a long way. It's easier to exert your willpower over stress eating when you don't find yourself in that position as often.

RodaRose wrote: »

Take walks, yoga, tai chi, learn some breathing techniques on youtube. Join a gym with a sauna. Check with a doctor to get some sleep meds for two weeks to get back into a sleep routine.

I like these. Breathing techniques are so easy and they work anywhere. Try Chamomile tea at bedtime.

Yoga, tea, a nice warm bath and meditation are always helpful for me.

I wish I had the answer. I wish I good answers as everyone else always does…
I struggle with this as I struggle maybe what i do that helps me (occasionally) may prove to work for you.
Sometimes I just give in but intentionally and before I eat something I shift gears in my head what i WILL BE EATING FOR THE REST of the day (oops all caps…) and eating the rest of the day must be light depending how much i eat or how little then i just don't allow anymore snacks for the day and eat a normal 3-500 cal dinner. I mean it will happen-even under complete control it may happen then too. The key is to plan it into your day. Be flexible so your bending with it not breaking (reminds me of a bruce lee quote)
Keep busy. how about a hobby? if I'm stressed all i want to do is paint my nails or draw or paint. It just calms-i take forever with my nails but its the calming that gets me zoned out.
Reading helps IMMENSLEY. if I had time to read a book in a day it would something special for me. A book some tea. Keep low fat enjoyable snacks. Popcorn is so good and ok if its not loaded with butter.
I like windmill spice cookies with cool whip and it literally tastes like a full fat pumpkin pie-not lying and its only like 150 calories versus 300? for pumpkin pie. Cheezits are good. you can eat 25 of them things as a serving size. Or if you live in nicer climates then my #1 idea would be walking or going towards some water. Water helps me calm down fast. I feel so peaceful and…at ease. Water is a force to be reckoned with. You are changed when meeting with water. If all else fails go to God. The almighty has answered almost all of my prayers when approaching Him with an open mind and if I fast and have good intentions they get answered immediately. Start a relationship even if its a few words and his tuggings at your heart will be felt and you feel his peace replace your stress. Nothing else is like it, nothing else will ever be close to what He offers and what He has done for me. Life change.

Find things you like to do - and enjoy the experience thoroughly. It can be just relaxing in front of the TV; long walk or some sort of exercise; reading a book; meditating; taking 10 minutes to just "be with yourself" and chill...sort some things out.

Are there things around the house that bug you that need to be straightened up? Last week, the laundry room was really bugging me. It had become a "catch all" for extra blankets that we never used, and was very disorganized. I spent an hour or two for a day or two getting everything straightened up. Now it doesn't bug me anymore, and I'm doing laundry more frequently.

We got a secretary desk - I've been half-way working on getting it set up as "my work area". Still not quite there yet...but that's likely to become one of my next projects - to get it set up how I want it to be.

If nothing else works...you can run errands: Fill up the car, go to the bank, go get stamps and a box of thank you cards for when you need them.

For what it's worth...

Another HOT tea drinker here. Currently sipping on some green tea.

For starters if something is stressing me out, I will "take care of it". That may mean calling and making an appt., working on the undone project, etc. That really helps the most.

Prelogging my food helps.

Also not having junk food in the house in the first place. I am not ready for that level of temptation yet.

One thing that has totally helped me is my LARGE dry erase board, cork board, and my hanging calendar in the kitchen. I can jot down what I have to do for the day including a SHOWER TIME if I am having a really bad day, have a ongoing grocery list, etc. My appt. cards are pinned on the cork board. I take a picture with my phone before I go out and have all my stuff on my phone. Easy peasy. It keeps things "calm and organized" for me.

Then of course my active things are taking dogs for a walk, exercise, cleaning, reading, catching up on my tv series, and so on.

I am very lucky no stress in my life. Been there done that.