Bad Days + Increased Anxiety

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kiela64
kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
I haven't had much stress while I've started working on this, but now I'm starting to get more anxious and I've noticed I'm having more "bad days" where I eat above maintenance. I averaged out the last 15 days and I've been eating at about maintenance overall, so I probably haven't lost anything in the last couple of weeks.

School hasn't started yet, and I'm worried my goals will fall to the side when I have an essay or something due. I've never been very good at "multitasking" like doing the laundry on the same day I need to work on an essay. I wonder if this is something other people have experienced and if there are any suggestions on how to prioritize this without completely ignoring school?

I know my anxiety levels will probably increase throughout the year until exams are over, so I wondered if there are ways to retrain myself to not go for food at these times?

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  • GeckoSupervisor
    GeckoSupervisor Posts: 12 Member
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    Stress eating is something I struggle with, too. I've been talking to a therapist about it (among other things) and while we haven't developed a strategy for all of my food-related issues yet, she has been amazingly helpful.
    So based on my knowledge of myself, here's a couple thoughts.
    First - at least you're eating maintenance! Pat yourself on the back for keeping yourself within non-gaining parameters. If you have to eat at maintenance to get through a stressful period, then do it. Getting stressed and feeling down about your calories in addition to your other stressors is enough to lead to binging or even quitting, so try to stay at least a little bit chill about it, and think positively.
    Try to exercise more. This is the thing everyone says, and it's easier said than done I know, but even just a quick walk around the block or dancing around the house will help with your stress in a big way - and of course will reduce your net calories. It's a double effect! So if you are hugely stressed and can't control the food thing, focus on exercise to get yourself back on track. Try setting an alarm on your phone to remember to take quick exercise breaks, since you have trouble managing multiple tasks.
    Three, exercise is great for your stress, but also try to practice relaxation techniques. Remember, the problem isn't really the food, it's your stress. I took a course in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) last spring, and the mindfulness exercises are really, really helpful in getting yourself relaxed and sorting out emotional urges. See if you can look up some info on that, or just try whatever deep-breathing relaxation techniques work for you.
    And then a couple other things to think about: journaling has really helped me. I just write out whatever is on my mind, reflect on how I feel about myself, what caused me distress or happiness that day, etc. It has really helped sometimes with not feeling like I'm fumbling through life just repeating the same mysterious mistakes. I still make the mistakes, but now I have a better understanding of why. And second - non-food-based rewards! I grew up with food-based rewards, so this has been a tough habit to break. And of course, reaching for comfort food stems right from this kind of thing. So when you need to unwind, or you need consolation, or when you've accomplished something and want a reward, try a pleasant activity, or buy yourself a little present instead of comfort food.

    (Aaaand I wrote yet another book. Sorry! I hope this might help, though)
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    Thank you so much @GeckoSupervisor <3

    I think looking into some of those things would be really beneficial, so thank you for sharing your experience. I brought it up with a therapist the other day, and she seemed worried because it's not an area where she specializes. I used to keep a journal a lot, but I haven't for - I think the amount of time I've been having eating issues - because it felt "dumb". I think giving back credibility to my thoughts & feelings, rather than just thinking "omg that's so dumb what's wrong with me" might be a good place to start. I really do feel better when I exercise, but when I don't I feel bad and don't want to exercise. Or I get overwhelmed by the prospect of needing to exercise. But doing something at home should be less stressful :) & I just got some space where I can exercise!!

    thank you so much, again, I'm going to bookmark this to remind myself.
  • _Butterflies_And_Chaos_
    _Butterflies_And_Chaos_ Posts: 23 Member
    edited August 2015
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    I feel your pain ~ I eat a lot more when I'm stressed as well! @GeckoSupervisor had some great suggestions!! :smile: The only other thing that I would add is to incorporate a short meditation session when you're feeling really overwhelmed (many of them are only 3-5 minutes long). I used to raise an eyebrow of skepticism at meditation, but after trying it..... well, it helps sooooo much! You can find videos on YouTube & evidently there are apps out there as well... Best of luck to you in the upcoming school year ~ you're going to do great because you're planning for success now! :)