Stress and Eating

[Angel]

I'm going through a particularly stressful period at the moment, am fighting with an insurance company to pay me benefits, they stopped them with only a few days notice!

Anyways, I am starting to feel very self destructive eating wise. To explain, I know what I need to eat to lose weight and what I need to either avoid or enjoy in moderation BUT . . . and here it comes . . . . when I am particularly stressed, especially if things feel useless, I go into self destructive mode and want to consume everything evil - alcohol, chocolate, take away etc.

I know I do it, I just don't know how I stop doing it. Sure it might give me a slight relief instantly but for the long haul it just makes me more miserable. I'm sure there's heaps of you out there that have the same problem, would love to hear what you do when STRESS strikes.

[Dolly]

I get far away from the house.
Try going shopping or gardening to get your mind off your problems and comfort snacks.
(insurance companies suck don't they? they seldom come through, my husband fought for ages before they finally replaced his teaching test kit equipment that got stolen from the back of his car, they fixed the break in car damage pretty quick but they were stubborn for months with the $1,000 worth of stolen equipment which he needed badly for his work) They finally came through the . . . . . . . 's

[Butterfly_Dawn]

I work in a fairly stressful job (high workload, emotionally difficult work) but I find that my regular exercise (riding to and from work) helps me wind down at the end of the day.
Maybe when you feel stressed you could go for a jog, or do a kickboxing video, even hire a punching bag!! I used to do Aikido and I loved it for when I was really shitty about something - getting to throw somone around and the combat stuff just helped get it out.

[shelleykay]

Hi guys

But what do you do when you CANT get out of the house when you have two young kids to look after....

I hate the way I look which depresses me even more...

This is such a vicious circle

[SarahC]

I have got a treadmill and a cross trainer set up in my spare room, with TV and radio in there too. So I don't need to leave the house, unless I want to

Maybe have a look around the trading post, or in one of the fitness equipment shops (depending on finances) and get yourself a piece of cardio equipment... whichever type you like the best. Then you could set it up in front of your TV and do some excercise while watching the TV and keeping an eye on your kids. Maybe put the TV on a show that they like so they are in the same room with you and won't run off anywhere...

Or, like Tegan says, get a puching bag, or an excercise DVD

Relaxation tapes can also be very useful. If you can get five minutes to yourself to just lie on the floor and put one on, it helps heaps. May even be as good as doing excercise, as it will calm your nerves and help stop the urge to eat...

That's all I can think of, hope it helps

[Mandie]

Yep, and maybe that old trick when you are craving chocolate, have some chewing gum on hand...

Chew it until it's really dead, hopefully the cravings will disappear by then, and anything you want to eat will taste gross now anyway!

[Phat-Beth]

I definitely feel your pain when it comes to breaking bad habits! On busy days where I am too frustrated and tired to think about cooking, it's awfully tempting to pull over for some fast food - hwere I always order so much more than I should

To help stop this, I go grocery shopping regularly, and make a schedule of what I'm going to cook and eat on what day. Then, when I am tempted for some fast food, I remember that no, I shouldn't, because I have that chicken that I have to cook at the house, or it might go bad, etc. And as long as you plan to cook things you actually *like*, you may find that more appealing than the same old greasy fried burger anyway.

Beth

[ThinLizzy]

I know what it is like, too... and sometimes all the "distractions" in the world won't help, they just postpone the inevitable.

I have started seeing a counsellor to help get to the root of my comfort eating when I am sad or stressed.

But in the meantime, when you are in a better headspace PREPARE yourself. Find healthy/ier version recipes of your comfort foods to have ready when you crack. Eg instead of icecream, frozen yoghurt. Instead of KFC, bake some chicken wings with seasoning. Chips? Eat Snakatas with hommus. Figure out your vulnerable time and cover your bases! If you do binge (and you will unless you address the roots of the problem, and it goes beyond willpower) do it as healthily possible!

Works for me, anyway

[Sarah91]

They say that stress or anxiety could lead to weight gain or worse scenario obesity. That's true to me because when I was stressed and anxious about the result of my board exam, 2 months before it was release, I tend to eat too much to ease the tension I felt. I ate a lot of junk foods that I gained 10 kilos in two months time.

[Blitz]

Stress is just another excuse to quit. We all have stress in our lives in one form or another. Life is full of problems and worries but that shouldn't automatically mean we throw in the towel, hit the fridge and eat ourselves silly.

No stress isn't to blame, rather it is how we deal with it where the problem lies. Which is more helpful to our lives? A pig out session with the guilt afterwards (adding more stress) or an intensive workout at the gym? I suggest that a good long walk or a great sweaty run will do you more good and get your head in the right place.

It is all about choices in the end. We can play the victim and continue in the lifestyle that got us overweight or we can take responsibility for our actions and decisions - then do the right thing.

Kim