I have to admit, I am a big stress eater. If I'm feeling stress, I will stuff my face. I need to find another outlet. I'm basically in tears right now, cause I've been stuck at 205ish for weeks, and I know KNOW know! that if I had a better handle on my stress eating that I'd be lower.
Tell me, please, how do YOU deal with stressful times.
I'm a stress eater too. It's tough. The two things that work for me are a hot bath or shower, and a hot cup of tea. I hope you find something to help you
exercise, exercise, exercise. i moved last year and just got laid off (with two mortgages.) when things get rough i put on my running shoes ASAP and go. it's helped a lot. still losing weight (and hair, sadly. never been this stressed before.)
Any sort of relaxation technique is also helpful. Breathing exercises can be done very quickly. Restful music. A hot bath is great if you have the time.
And I second the hot cup of tea too! Especially green tea which is good for both weight loss and stress (cortisol levels). Since I prefer black tea, I make a pot with 2 green tea bags and one black tea bag. In my cup I add a little nonfat powdered milk, a dash of cinnamon, and sometimes a little splenda.
This is a very timely post and one I was thinking about starting, so thanks, BornToFly! Work has been really stressfull lately, my son moved out to his first apartment, and I'm talking to contractors about remodeling so it's been stress and anxiety all week long! I've done OK with food, although I will admit to having bought light beer at the store tonight. We'll see if I crack one of those bad boys open later. I know I need to hop on the elliptical; man, I'm glad I bought that. It's cold and windy outside so it's nice to have a way to burn off some steam in the house!
I meditate when I get stressed, upset, angry (and a host of other negative feelings). Not the stereotypical "listen to new age music while searching for enlightenment" type of meditating, but just breathing.
Find a quiet place. Sit somewhere in a comfortable position. Close your eyes, but keep them open a fraction. Breathe in for 5 heartbeats. Hold for 5. Exhale for 10. When you breathe in, extend your belly. When you exhale, bring it in (exactly how a baby breathes). It is the most relaxing way to breathe.
While you're doing that, think of everything you're stressed out about and imagine it written onto separate sheets of paper: "I am stressed because of X", "I am stressed because of Y". Now slowly, with each inhale, take the piece of paper in your hand. While you're holding your breath, crumple it. When you exhale, throw it away. When you're finished throwing all your paper away, sit and breathe 30-50 times. Count each breath.
I meditate only a few times a week (for 30 minutes total time), but my stress levels are nowhere near what they were even a year ago.
I think the advice above is all good. Trying to find new reactions to stressful situations has been a difficult but doable task mostly. I try to remember that food is only going to make my problem worse and only make me feel worse about it. I have other guilty indulgences I use now--shopping, double features on tv, talking on phone too long, driving to a different area of town without my phone so I can escape, etc.
I do a couple of things when stressed. One, take a hot bubbly bath with lit candles and a glass of wine or hot tea. Two, I clean like a mad woman, specifically scouring the tub. Three, take a long, fast walk. Breathe
How do you deal with stress?
