Stress eating: Help?
 

This is posted on 2 different groups so sorry if people see this twice.

I know I'm a stress eater. I really try to work on it. This Saturday my cat got really sick and we had to take her to the emergency vet. They thought it was her thyroid which is very treatable and has a high success rate so I held up pretty well and made it through the day on plan. We got the call back Sunday that blood work shows it's not her thyroid at all and that she's either got a major infection (which she may or may not fight off) or it's liver failure and there's not much they can do. Yeah Sunday was not a plan day.

Anyway back to the subject at hand. Does anybody have any recommendations for handling stress eating? Normally I would get up and excercise or get out of the house but it's kind of hard for me to do that when I'm having to sit in one room monitoring her for condition changes and I'm not getting a decent amount of sleep because I'm having to force feed and force water her every 3 hours around the clock. I tried bringing in some movies to try to destract me but so far it's really not helping.

- prepare snacks ahead of time that you can munch on and feel satisfied

- books/magazines -- > visual stimulations ..

- music

- there are exercises you can do in the comfort of your home .. pilates/yoga/stretching/hula-hooping/bands/weights

- call a friend on the phone to distract you

- browse 3fc for inspiration =D (thats what i do)

- chores ~ I feel relaxed when I finish cleaning/folding laundry lol

This one gets used a lot, but nice hot bubble baths. It is seriously magical and relaxing. I am pretty lucky that I have a hot tub at my house, so when I'm home I jump in that too.

If you have a significant other, a massage works too. Or a sibling could do it to.

Look into getting a Wii, you can do it in the comfort of your home and there are lots of games that get you up and moving (making you forget about wanting to eat) that are also lots of fun. And there are regular games on there too if you just want to relax and take your mind off food.

We actually do have a Wii but it's in the living room and kitty has to be quarantined in the back bedroom right now. If this keeps up I might have to move the Wii but she actually started earting a little today so once the blood work comes back tomorrow I shouldn't be quarantined with her. Actually since she's eating some the stress has gone way down.

I think a lot of really good suggestions have been sent out. I'd add drinking water, so you have that hand-to-mouth movement going on and chewing gum. I know i have to keep my mouth busy or I just fill it when i'm stressed!

Also, keep reminding yourself that eating won't make your cat better and it won't make you feel more secure about her well-being. Eating won't solve these emotional problems, you are stronger than you think!

This sounds silly (and it doesn't help the feelings behind the action, but it's a quick fix), but pick up a box of Crest Whitestrips.

I try to use a pair when I'm not hungry but still feel like snacking. What's better than not eating unnecessarily and whitening your teeth at the same time?

I am a stress and bored eater, so I know exactly what you are going through. I've had a lot of stressful events recently and every time something comes up I want to hop in my car and run to BK to get a whopper...

What helps me is that I ALWAYS have fruit and nuts on hand. That way if I am stressed or bored and need something I can have an apple or banana or a handful of nuts to munch on and I haven't ruined my caloric intake for the day. This is key, because I am the type of person that if I have one slip-up I will say to myself "well, I've already ruined it, might as well make the most of it" and binge on fast food.

Not only do I have healthy things on hand that I snack on if I just feel the need to eat (especially around 8-9pm at night), but I have also emptied my cabinet of anything that is remotely considered junk food. If it enters into my house it is healthy or it is not there. Otherwise, I will know it's in there and I WILL eat it.

Good luck!