I have a confession. Last Tuesday, I ate 15 double-stuffed Oreos. (Actually it was more than that. I was so upset with myself, I stopped counting.)
This wasn’t an isolated incident either. My stress eating started about a month ago. I skipped lunch because of a late meeting and ended up snacking all afternoon. Shortly after that, I didn’t have time to make breakfast. But I did finish my breakfast burrito before I even made it to the school drop off line.
I’m not eating because I’m hungry. I eat to feel better when I’m stressed. And I eat junk food. So when I eat all those layered foods, I feel sluggish and bloated so I don’t want to go to the gym either. Double whammy!
The good news is I finally recognized what I was doing and am trying to make some changes. The better news is I’m sharing it with all of you. Leaning on other FitCity Moms will keep me honest, as I plan on reporting in from time to time on my progress. Here is my plan:
Step 1. Confession. I told my husband and I’m telling you. Reciting the list of food is a lot harder than eating the food on the list.
Step 2. Journal. I’m a BIG fan of journaling. When I did this before my wedding, I not only lost a few pounds but I also paid attention to the types of food I ate and the amounts.
Step 3. Mood Tracking. This time, I want to track why I stress-eat. Something goes wrong with work? Rainy Saturday blues? I know it will be harder to resist the snacks I love and be prepared for it.
Step 4. Ditch the Junk. As hard as it was to do, I threw the rest of the Oreos in the trash. I divvied up the Cheez-Its in the kids’ lunches. In moderation, these are fine. But when I stress eat, I eat the whole box.
Step 5. Stock up on the Healthy Stuff. I bought 100 Calorie packs of my favorite snacks (and they are small!) But I get a taste of what I crave, and then fresh veggie sticks are easier to turn to.
Step 6. Water. I keep a thermos of water with me all the time. If I think I’m hungry, I drink some water. It usually takes care of the craving.
I can’t stop being stressed but I can stop reacting by eating. It’s been a week and so far, so good. Will it work long-term? Stay tuned.
Tags: binge eating, diet, lifestyle, Nutrition, oreos
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Hi Lisa:
Been here one time too many — looking at an empty bag of something and thinking “How did that happen? As I have confessed in another post, one of my weaknesses is soda. If I bring them in the house, I will drink them! I like your action plan. Keep us posted on your progress.
Hi Lisa,
My name is Kathy Hurrle. I too have done the same thing. When I was younger it didn’t make me gain weight. I guess I was so busy running around taking care of my kids. Plus I’ve always like to exercise. I use to be an aerobic instructor. Go figure. It’s like going for a run and then lighting up a cigerette when your finished. I’m now 53 and for the last decade I have done the yo-yoing. My binging was making me gain then I would exercise and eat right and loose it. I’ve done this 3 times in the last decade. Last July my doctor told me that I had high blood pressure and that if my blood sugar was one number higher I would be pre-diabetic. I sit down and wrote the same plan that you did here. I also sit down and wrote myself out a work out plan doing aerobices and weight training. I not only wrote in a journal but I went to see my family doctor every month to weight in and I would sit and talk to him about my progress and l let him know what I was doing. It’s now May 09 and since last July of 08I’ve lost almost 60 pounds. I’ve gone from a size 16 to a size 4. My blood pressure is very healthy and I feel great. I want to tell you that your plan will work for you. But I also think you should get help such as support from your doctor and a support group. Always be honest with yourself and everyone else. That is something I have never done before and that is to admit that I am a binge eater. I have not binged since last July of 08. My plan now is to come up with maintinence program. Continue seeing my doctor this year about every 3 months. You have to deal with what is going on in your head that makes one do this. And I think a stress management class would be a good thing to. That is something I am planning on finding. There are also a lot of good books on stress management. I am just tired of treating my body like it is a garbage can and I don’t ever want to go back to living like that.
Sincerely,
Kathy Hurrle
khurrle@aol.com
Kathy,
Thank you for sharing your story. Congratulations on the weight loss, but more importantly on your decision to take care of you – physically and mentally. You are right about being honest with yourself about eating habits. That’s what they are – habits. I always feel better when I eat right, and your story goes to show that you really ARE healthier when you eat sensibly as well. Please keep me posted on what stress management books you find. Getting to the cause of my eating is going to be a big part of me knocking the stress eating habit.
Lisa
Lisa,
I can really relate to your struggle with eating when stressed because it is comforting – or at least that is how I justify it. When I am stressed I go on an ice cream milk shake frenzie to cope (smiling and winking). Of course, that coping seems to only get me more stressed when I can’t fit into my favorite pair of jeans or button the blouse.
I appreciate your plan to keep this in control, especially keeping track of the food eaten and telling someone else. The things I have tried that seems to work for me, besides not stopping to buy them, are to chew sugar free gum and drink flavored sugan free water. Like you, I am becoming more aware of when I am stressed and look for healthier ways to cope during those times.
I wish you well on this journey of eliminating stress eating! Let’s keep encouraging each other, too.
Eleather
Thanks for all the encouragement both in the comments and in person. It has been a week of ups and downs since my original post. On the up side: My stress eating has slowed down and we have filled the house with healthier choices so when I do snack it is on almonds and carrots instead of oreos and chips. On the down side: I haven’t consistently been journaling, so I know I’m still taking in too many calories. I can tell from how I feel.
At least the weather has improved, so I am moving more. That really helps. I think I’m going to buy a book over the weekend called Spark about the connection between exercise and feeling/looking good. Hopefully that will keep me motivated to move more and keep that water bottle handy!