Dealing with stress

Well I have had alot of stress in my life and sometimes I tend to eat my way through it. It never fixes it but sometimes I sure eat like it was going to. AND eating doesn't do a dang bit of good. Have you ever been sitting at the table with your head down shoveling in the food like a mindless robot only to add guilt to the stress the next day for the way you ate? Lack of sleep sure doesn't  help in those situations ether!

You may not have stress this week but it will come and it is better to have a plan than to turn to food for distraction or comfort. First of all you should not eat when you are stressed!! Wait until you are calm and focused on eating rather than using the mindless shoveling technique. I know I have eaten unhealthy, high calorie, junk food that didn't even taste good because I was not putting the effort to deal with stress properly.
Working out is a great way to relieve stress. Not only does it help you get your mind off the negative it also triggers your body to release "feel good" endorphins. So go for a walk, a jog or a bike ride. Jump on the trampoline, play catch with your kids or just throw the Frisbee. Call a friend to talk or just soak in the tube. What ever it is stay out of the kitchen until you can think about what you are putting in your mouth and make good decisions.
Have a plan and post it on the frig or pantry if you need to. It might say :Count to 10, Go for a walk, Make good food choices.
Decide now to deal with stress in a healthy way and do it for life!

If you do fall off the wagon..... get up, dust your self off, and get right back on. You will be surprised at how forgiving your body can be if you get right back on track.

This is an article you can read for more info: http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/eating-for-better-health/manage-stress-and-emotional-eating.aspx

Some of the main points are:

"Ultimately, your best arsenal against stress should come from a different source. Using strategies such as exercise to burn off stress, calling a close friend or family member to talk out difficulties, or taking a warm bath to help relax are all healthy ways to manage stress without relying on food."

"There's a definite physiological connection between food and stress that encourages you to overeat.
When you know that stress is causing you to crave food, take steps to redirect your attention:
Take a walk.
Grab your water bottle.
Keep a stash of healthy snacks.

Stress can also distract you from what you're eating, which leads to gorging on foods that you don’t even enjoy. Here are some suggestions to help you avoid mindless emotional eating and overeating:Focus on your food.
Savor the flavors.
Don’t eat on the run.
Time yourself.
Don’t skip meals."