Question for former Stress Eaters
I am a former stress eater. I maintained my calm and kept my mouth closed with peanut M&M's, Salt & Vinegar chips, and ice cream sundaes. I was told to walk, write in a journal, pray, and give it to God. Well so far I have tried these things and I now have a ulcer and my iritis (stress induced eye pain and light sensitivity associated with my arthritis condition) has flared up. So I am really in need of some good advice from someone who has been able to give up the stress eating and use another tool to keep themselves healthy. I appreciate your help before I self destruct! LOL
Height 5'0 HW-247; SW- 238; GW-140
When you stress eat, is it burning off nervous energy? 'Cause then exercise might help. Or is it a way of soothing yourself? 'Cause for me it's a way of soothing myself and instead I take lots of bubble baths.
You may have to try a lot of different things to find what works for you.
This may not be the best suggestion, but what about chowing down on baby carrots or something healthy? A dish of sugar free jello or pudding with fat free cool whip?
You may have to try a lot of different things to find what works for you.
This may not be the best suggestion, but what about chowing down on baby carrots or something healthy? A dish of sugar free jello or pudding with fat free cool whip?
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
I am currently unders stress and never thought I was a stress eater until now. I wanted to raid the kids' easter baskets. I don't even really like sweets. So far I have found that taking out some aggression on a punching bag and pretty much saying all that I wanted to say to it helped me significantly. Enough so that the urge to eat has gone away for now.
RNY- 2/18/2011
Thanks Kelly, I have sf jello and I could do that. In my counseling session they told me to find a replacement other than eating. I thought "no problem", however, there must be a problem or my body wouldn't be reacting this way. I will try the bubble baths but I need something to do while I'm at work. I used to take M&M's to meetings and eat them so I wouldn't comment and get in trouble. By the way, I have been speaking my mind a lot more than normal and it's obvious that it's affecting my relationships with my husband, kids, co-workers and boss. This is amazing to me. I never thought this would happen after having weight loss surgery.
Maybe it's how you're saying things. Are you holding it in until all kinds of crap just bursts out? Maybe you can work on learning about assertiveness (which is different than aggressiveness) in your counseling sessions.
And I agree that something besides eating would probably be best but if you can't find anything else that works right now, while you're working on that, I don't see the harm in jello.
What soothes your body? Of course you can't take bubble baths at work. What about aromatherapy? You know what I used to do at work when I was really stressed out? It wouldn't work in a meeting, though. I had this CD of ocean sounds and I would make a cup of herbal tea and put on the ocean CD. Not only was it relaxing but my coworkers learned not to bug me when I had the ocean sounds on.
And I agree that something besides eating would probably be best but if you can't find anything else that works right now, while you're working on that, I don't see the harm in jello.
What soothes your body? Of course you can't take bubble baths at work. What about aromatherapy? You know what I used to do at work when I was really stressed out? It wouldn't work in a meeting, though. I had this CD of ocean sounds and I would make a cup of herbal tea and put on the ocean CD. Not only was it relaxing but my coworkers learned not to bug me when I had the ocean sounds on.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
I like your idea of the ocean CD. I have a oil burning lamp in my office. I could use that to assist me. I could also use a sugar free mint in meetings. You have me thinking now. Thanks. I'm still trying to figure out what to do when I can't control things like loosing weight faster, my job, etc. That might be the bubble bath idea. I will try anything because I don't think my body can take any more of this. Thanks
I answer your question with another question: is it lack of assertiveness that was causing you to stuff your mouth in order not to say anything? Identify the people/situations that trigger you to stress. Sometimes refusing to engage with people's drama can help reduce your stress. If you gotta say something, take a deep breath & figure out what you really need to say. It's not always about what they need to hear, but what you need to get understood. You have the right & responsibility to stand up for yourself but not to stand on anyone's tail.
First ultra: Stone Mill 50 miler 11/15/14 13:44:38, First Full Marathon: Marine Corps 10/27/13 4:57:11, Half Marathon PR 2:04:43 at Shamrock VA Beach Half-Marathon, 12/2/12 First Half-Marathon 2:32:47, 5K PR Run Under the Lights 5K 27:23 on 11/23/13, 10K PR 52:53 Pike's Peek 10K 4/21/13, (1st timed run) Accumen 8K 51:09 10/14/12.
Oh no, I'm assertive. I am trained to know when to speak and when to keep my mouth closed. That is only part of the problem. There is a lot going on right now with the possiblitiy of loosing my job, children issues, not loosing as fast as I thought I would, etc. My job is helping people with their drama so I don't take it personally. I wasn't clear before. Thank you for trying to understand. I think I am a type A personality and love to control things and it's out of control. I need to find another way to deal with issues when I can't eat them away.
Sorry to misunderstand ya. So here's another suggestion - working on the control issues. I question myself when that control-freak tries to "correct" people; is this my issue or theirs? Who made me lord and judge of all? And saying to myself "let it go!". I almost envision myself as a dog holding on to a newspaper and I'm gonna get smacked if I don't let go (of what I'm trying to control). Maybe work on some quick relaxation training with your therapist? There are techniques you can do at work, without anyone noticing, even in meetings.
First ultra: Stone Mill 50 miler 11/15/14 13:44:38, First Full Marathon: Marine Corps 10/27/13 4:57:11, Half Marathon PR 2:04:43 at Shamrock VA Beach Half-Marathon, 12/2/12 First Half-Marathon 2:32:47, 5K PR Run Under the Lights 5K 27:23 on 11/23/13, 10K PR 52:53 Pike's Peek 10K 4/21/13, (1st timed run) Accumen 8K 51:09 10/14/12.
Stuffing down my anger with food was a large part of how I got to my pre-op weight. The other big factor was soothing my stress and anxiety with food.
I wish I knew some easy alternative for stress eating. I am just stressed out now, post-op, without the food. Meds (psych meds for anxiety) helped me noticeably, but the issue is one I will need to learn to live with.
The upshot is that I'm too busy to graze during the day, and really, grazing was never really a big factor for me. Meal size was. I'd eat myself numb, big Thanksgiving-sized portions, at every dinner, that type of thing. The RnY has been a huge help with that, and it's a little easier every day to just kinda say, "Well, that's that, I'm apparently done eating" and put down the fork, after just 8 or 10 minutes. And so I do still feel restless, anxious after I am done eating, instead of that comforatble, dead feelilng I used to get after stuffing myself, but I'm learning to tolerate that better, just kind of be anxious, and live with it, go about my life.
I guess that's part of the tool aspect, right?
It's a learning tool.
I wish I knew some easy alternative for stress eating. I am just stressed out now, post-op, without the food. Meds (psych meds for anxiety) helped me noticeably, but the issue is one I will need to learn to live with.
The upshot is that I'm too busy to graze during the day, and really, grazing was never really a big factor for me. Meal size was. I'd eat myself numb, big Thanksgiving-sized portions, at every dinner, that type of thing. The RnY has been a huge help with that, and it's a little easier every day to just kinda say, "Well, that's that, I'm apparently done eating" and put down the fork, after just 8 or 10 minutes. And so I do still feel restless, anxious after I am done eating, instead of that comforatble, dead feelilng I used to get after stuffing myself, but I'm learning to tolerate that better, just kind of be anxious, and live with it, go about my life.
I guess that's part of the tool aspect, right?
It's a learning tool.
Koko
HW-291 :: 1st WLS consult-281 :: Surgery-263 :: GW-154 :: CW-151 :: In my dreams - 138
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