[ncuneo]

I've been under a great deal of stress the last day or so. I'm sitting here in Starbucks just an hour away from the biggest exam of my career. I'm in the process of becoming a licensed architect and my last exam is in a hour. Anyway yesterday I just felt nervous and stressed all day and all though I didn't do anything I can't recover from, I'm not happy with how I was feeling about food yesterday. I've always been an emotional eater and yesterday I felt like I needed to stuff myself to smoother the stress. The bigger issue I think is learning how to stay in control when eating out. At dinner I got a turkey burger and side salad and I knew that I should only eat half the burger and at half I was satisfied and ready to stop but I ate it all anyway. I just ordered the Beck Diet Solution on audiobook and will start it tomorrow and I'm really hoping it will help me with the mental part of all this. I have the plan down I know what and how I have to eat to make this permanent, but my relationship with food really hasn't changed and I need some serious help in that respect. Suggestions?

[jennyplain]

It sounds like you have figured out that part of your issues with food stem from stress and stress eating. The next step is to take that back further and get to the root of why stress leads to food - is it a comfort, is it a reward, is it masking some other problem? Then, figure out ways of nipping the problem in the bud: say to yourself (out loud, even), "I am doing this because I am stressed out about A, B, and C. Eating this food will not make A, B, or C go away, and will in fact add D to my problems because I will be mad at myself."

Then, you can begin tackling the stressors instead of eating to dull them. Eventually, you'll work your way through (or reduce) the stress from the problems, without contributing to them through food.

Remember, at the end of the day, it is YOU who makes the choice whether or not you are going to give in to your bad habits.

And let me just say this: girl, you are about to become a licensed architect! That is HUGE! Someone who can do that is someone who is stronger than stress eating!!!

[grrrkgrrrl]

extreme stress can really throw you off balance despite the best intentions you might have.
the basic thing you should keep is the experience, and the things you did not do. ok, you ate the whole burger and you should have stopped. did you proceed to take it as an excuse to throw away all the work you've been doing so far? i believe not, otherwise you wouldn't be here, seeking support.

accept you're not perfect, you're not a robot that is programmed to only do 1 thing. but once you accept those, move forward!!! there's nothing you've done diet-wise you cannot undo, so work towards that.

and for next time, remember that the after-effect was not really what you needed and try your damnest to stay on plan!

my 2c

grrrkgrrl

[Onederchic]

Good luck with your goals, you CAN do this, look at how far you have come