Emotional Stress Eating

That's a toughy. I must admit I've often wonder how people who do the work you do cope with the stress. I stress eat and don't deal with the stress you have to deal with! But I think truly the only healthy answer is activity. And as with any bad habit, it's going to be hard to break. Can you make a plan to wean yourself off? Allow for a small bag to treats after the brisk walk (or whatever activity you choose). Don't go cold turkey, that's just cruel to yourself. I agree with above poster, best if you make your intention, "this is what's best for me". I wouldn't have intention be "losing weight", because in moment of temptation, that goal has never helped me, rather makes me resentful. But doing things that are good for me and makes feel good, that's motivation.

I had a high stress job a bit similar to yours. I was a public defender. Actually I was a social worker for a while before law school. Just a parade of broken people, broken hearts, negativity in both jobs. Not managing stress got me to 285lbs.

Exercise worked for me I guess. You say it's not the same? Not as good? I would get home from work, have a planned snack and the head for the gym, or my alternative basement workout.

If this did nothing else, it kept me busy at a very bad time for snacking. After work I was either going to drink, eat, eat & drink or exercise. So exercise was by far my best choice. Then for a while after exercise I tried .5mg Ativan.

Not great choices? Better than the heart attack I was going to have.

I like the yoga suggestion. I had various relaxation CDs, guided meditations, classical music, relaxing piano, guitar. There's loads of stuff for trying to help people relax. I went to counseling for a while. Guess I'm suggesting you try everything and anything.

Truth is, if hunger isn't the problem food isn't the answer.

Sorry but you describe eating junk food and snacks as your coping skill. Is it coping or disfunction? Really. Take care, good luck.

One other thing, do you find that the only thing you can do at the end of the day is watch TV? You watching House Hunters or more "reality" show disfunction?

Well I feel lime you guys have me all beat for stressful jobs.... I'm a full time SAHM and run a garden CSA in the Spring/Summer/Fall ....although my hubby has a great paying job starting this business has been financially taxing....along w/ the stress of growing food when you have already presold it....this past Summer all went wrong. Hens stopped laying, insect infestations, hail, not enougg rain and animals eating my crops...please some @$$holes who felt the need to "well if you did.....then this wouldn't......" anywho....I've always stressed eat & as I'm just past my 30s now I really want to stop. I just can't seem to kick the habit

So I completely understand the stress eating struggle. I've had an insane personal life over the last 2.5 years, have a full time and a part time job, and am in graduate school. I have found that while exercise is helpful long-term/overall, it doesn't always help with that immediate desperate desire for control and stress relief. What I have found to be most helpful in those situations is mindfulness (both mindfully eating -giving your full attention to the fact that you are eating-, and being mindful that I am stressed and wanting a dopamine release), shamelessly logging everything I put in my mouth (which helps with the awareness), and trying to keep healthy snacks around to keep the calories lower.

Stress eating is a really difficult habit to break and recognizing your own personal patterns is really an incredible step in the right direction. I'd say, start trying to recognize what you are doing before you do it so that you can build in some agency and make the decision about whether/how/the extent to which you want to indulge. Some people find it easier to go cold turkey, but personally, I find this more stressful. Be kind to yourself!

Hope this helps

I used to stress eat. I would binge till it hurt and I knew it was emotional eating but I didn’t know how to stop.

I still occasionally stress eat, but I never binge anymore, and I’m able to stop much faster.

Before I couldn’t think when I’d do this, I would just eat and feel stressed and then worse because I was binging.

Now, I’ve learned to stop and ask myself what I really want. Take the time to find an honest answer. Do you need a break from the craziness? Are you tired and needing sleep? Do you need affection from another person? What is your body or soul truly starving for?

Acknowledge this. If possible, give it what it needs. But if not, embrace the fact that it’s hard and you are missing that and realize that food ultimately can’t replace what you really need.

It takes time and practice, but it gets easier and easier to pinpoint what you really are looking for and acknowledge that food can’t fill that hole.

I too have a high stress job (lawyer for a bunch of judges). I frequently deal with it by exercising.

This isn't the best input but a recent/ongoing non-work stress is causing me problems right now because my best coping mechanism is gone. When the doctors told me "no exercise" while waiting for some biopsy results, I just had to forgive myself and move on. If I had practiced mindful eating I'd probably have done a better job, but I'll get past this. The thing I have done right is to follow my plan and macros even when I know I'm eating my stress, if that makes any sense. (Like it somehow makes it better that the stress eating wasn't sugar and pizza, but again, in the spirit of being kind to myself, I kept to my macros). The other thing I did that helped me was that I was consciously aware that I was stress eating, so I set a limit and made myself get up, get the item in question (helloooooo peanut butter, almonds, or cheese!), take a 1/2 portion, sit down elsewhere to eat it, and if I wanted more I had to get up and repeat. That way the behavior would be obvious not only to me but to my husband, who I shared my concerns with. He knew that I was stress-eating, too, and was encouraged to call me out on it.

I haven't been great about it, but I'm not perfect, and I have no choice but to forgive myself. I'll know the answer on the pending scariness today, which should help, and tomorrow's 5K should help also, assuming I get my favorite coping mechanism back today.

I absolutely love the response above about eating with your stomach not your heart. I'm going to write that on a sticky note for my computer monitor, the fridge, and the pantry. It can't hurt. Best of luck to you, keep fighting for your health.