Need practical tips from the pros

I lost 67 lbs I’d been carrying for most of my adult life, and had been successfully maintaining for a year. Wow, was life so much easier and fun! My new habits were so ingrained, it wasn’t even that hard. I started to think I had beaten the emotional eating monster. Then summer of 2018 said “hold my beer.” Turns out having a double mastectomy and cancer treatment, my older son moving 2000 miles away and my younger son graduating me and my husband into empty nest status had a thing or two to show me. I’ve regained 20, and even worse I feel out of control. I know I have so much to be thankful for - my now good health, loving family, happy and hard working children - and I am very thankful on a daily basis! But I am having a terrible time not soothing my stress with food! I’ll have a healthy day and then blow it late, sometimes even in the middle of the night. What are some practical things YOU do to keep from stress eating? Cuz my usual strategies ain’t workin’..

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
    Is your calorie deficit set too high?

    Do you exercise? Walking and yoga help me with stress.

    Do you have a hobby or hobbies that you enjoy doing?
  • karlis87
    karlis87 Posts: 111 Member
    Cut out completely the thing that causes you to overeat. For me it’s sugar, for my husband it’s late night snacking. Then, when your back down to the weight you want to be you can add it back in with the knowledge that if you get above a certain weight you’ll cut it out again. Good luck!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    When I'm stressed I can't eat so I can't help...
    but I wanted to say you've been through a lot, be gentle on yourself. You've still kept off almost 50 lbs so take care of yourself now and aim to lose that 20lbs slowly and steadily.

    Keep busy /active - that really helps.

    All the best.
  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 16,636 Member
    Calling @AnnPT77
  • YadaYadaYada64
    YadaYadaYada64 Posts: 50 Member
    @AnnPT77 thanks for so many great tips! You have truly been through it, I admire your attitude and drive! I’m going to think about all you’ve said, so appreciate you taking the time to respond so fully 💚

    @ktmiowa thanks for the empathy. When I tell people empty nesting has been much more difficult for me psychologically than breast cancer, they think I’m nuts! 😂
  • whathapnd
    whathapnd Posts: 1,222 Member
    Hi! Sorry you've been through so many stressful things at once. There's so,much good advice here.

    I'm also a breast cancer survivor. When I was diagnosed, I was in year two of comfortably maintaining a 30-35lb loss that I had achieved slowly and steadily with with no exercise. The stress of the cancer, a very ill mother, the steroids, change in routine all contributed to about a 15 pound gain by the end of treatment. Unfortunately, instead of acknowledging it, like you have, I went on to gain it all back. Lost it all again . . . and gained it all back again and am in the process of losing it again. So my advice is to do something about this while you still remember how great it felt to be without those extra pounds and before it gets any more out of hand. If you're tracking, try setting your tracker at maintenance calories for a couple of weeks while you taper off the snacks. And I agree with Ann above that the local cancer support network may offer classes you could take advantage of to just get into a new groove with all your newfound time.

    Good luck!
  • YadaYadaYada64
    YadaYadaYada64 Posts: 50 Member
    @whathapnd - first, is your name a reference to a Christopher Guest movie, maybe A Mighty Wind? If so, we’d get along great. Thanks for the encouragement. I’d congratulate you on handling all you have, and never getting further out than 35 lbs! At times, with a calendar full of doc appts - our own or the ones we’re driving our aging parents to - eating can seem like the only fun or relaxing thing on the agenda. You’re right, I need to remember how feeling healthy and fit makes everything easier, that emotional eating only makes things harder! Good luck to you, too!
  • YadaYadaYada64
    YadaYadaYada64 Posts: 50 Member
    @IremiaRe look out rocks! 😃 Thanks for the advice!👷‍♀️🔨
  • DiscusTank5
    DiscusTank5 Posts: 321 Member
    Sometimes at night if I crave a sugary snack but I've already "spent" my calories for the day, I'll hop in the bathtub. A 30-60 min. soak with a good book does the trick.
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