How to not get derailed by stress

Cardio, cardio, cardio, cardio, cardio.

If I'm calm enough for yoga, for example, after cardio, then yoga.

Deep breathing.

Mantras.

Planning.

Most stress is predictable (what days of the week are busiest for you, what times are you tired or overwhelmed, what scenarios create temptation to go off-plan for your). Think ahead and don't plan for the perfect scenario, the one where you're cool, collected, and satisfied with just a salad during a time of day you normally eat all the cookies in the breakroom- plan something that you like enough to be a treat and an energy boost without going over your calorie allotment. Cook and meal prep in advance, write down or even pre-log what you intend to eat. Read up on mindfulness and start taking a minute to breathe, have a glass of water, and consider before you reach for a snack when stressed.

My work day is INCREDIBLY stressful and I've noticed a tendency to, when I really need a break, make the excuse that I'm hungry and have to go eat something quickly. I'll then sometimes have a second snack or helping to justify to myself sitting there another five minutes to collect myself. Giving myself permission to just sit there calmly for a minute without the "excuse" of a snack was enough to cut my calories considerably every day. Likewise breakfast on work days- I have to get up very early and I found I was reaching for second helpings to justify another minute of sitting at the breakfast table before I started getting dressed. Realizing that that's irrational, that I can sit there another few minutes if I want to, and also that prepping my lunch and work clothes before bed made the mornings less stressful and overwhelming, helped me break the habit of eating more just to buy myself some alone time.

Allowing yourself time to destress that isn't centered around food is a good idea.

Being realistic about what you're really like, what you crave and when, and what you need to be happy, as you plan your meals and activities will go a long way towards creating a sustainable plan. It doesn't have to be 1200 calories of salad every day, and in fact it *shouldn't* be if you know you historically haven't been able to maintain that way of eating.

You know the saying, "The perfect is the enemy of the good?" Don't aim for perfect every time, and you're less likely to end up missing the good altogether when things get challenging.

A little selfishness is helping me. I have seen the association of stress and weight gain so clearly that I am emboldened to say no when I need to.

In terms of keeping to my weight loss goal, I find having meals already planned in helps stop me thinking "sod it I'll have a pizza" when stressed. It's also one less thing to worry about.

In terms of general stress reduction I'm not very good at that! But something that makes me laugh will always help.

Kickboxing.
It helps with stress, frustration, anxiety and depression.

kshama2001 wrote: »

erikaaaaaaaa wrote: »

Exercise/long walks in the neighborhood (I live in Mississippi so the winter has been kind) have helped me immensely. My fiancé has tried to convince me to start meditating, but I am the type of person who has a hard time sitting still and shutting off my mind. Just TRYING to meditate makes me stressed out. I've found that taking walks around my neighborhood makes me feel like I'm doing something --walking--, but allows me to 'meditate' or zone out to let my mind rest. This has really, really helped with all of the stress by providing a balance between feeling like I've kept busy/not wasted time but also allowed my mind to rest.

That's not unusual, and is thought to be the reason why yoga was invented - to help shut off the mind in preparation for meditation

Seated meditation will make me calmer, but I have to be calm enough to begin it. If I were stressed today, I would first exhaust myself from shoveling, then do yoga, and only afterwards attempt seated meditation.

I find shoveling meditative, especially when the snow is coming down so hard that there is no traffic and it's very quiet.

I also find pruning meditative.

That the idea behind banzai trees, isn't it?

I go for a walk or something.

Eating because I'm stressed just makes me more stressed because I end up feeling bad about eating my feelings on top of being stressed... there's just no point!