Stress eating...

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2003
Stress eating...
9
Mon, 01-30-2006 - 3:02pm

When I get upset, I will eat anything that isn't nailed down (I don't even particularly have to like the taste).

I suppose I need some way to manage stress other than to break open a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese whenever anything in my life goes wrong.

I opened a blog yesterday so I can hopefully get some stress out of my system. I don't know if that will help.

I was extremely upset today. Minor accident -- the paint on my new car is scratched.
I didn't turn to food. However...I am also not "calmed down". I feel like I want to chew the carpet. And of course, I am not really hungry. It's my emotions running away with me.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2004
Tue, 01-31-2006 - 8:30am
Oh dear, dont chew the carpet...probably not good for your digestion system nor your teeth.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2003
Wed, 02-01-2006 - 5:53am

Hang in there. I am not a stress eater, so what I'm saying might not be relevant at all.. but I'll share a piece of my madness anyway.. I smoke when I get stressed, and to avoid that, I chew on sugar free gum.. a big quantity of the hardest minty gum you can find.. and sip on ice-cold water.. and type every @Q!#$#%# thing I have to say (this is why my blog is private LOL)

the drawback is that if you're really angry, your jaws will hurt afterwards.

I think i just proved that I'm totally wacko
Mary
247/216/165

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2003
Wed, 02-01-2006 - 11:27am

The gum idea would be great and I'll keep it in mind for when my braces come off.
As luck would have it, my dentist just put them on and they're not due to come off for a couple of months.

The good thing about braces is that it makes it harder to cheat on my diet. It really hurts to chew. My daughter tells me I'm a wimp but these things are torture!

Even if I try to cheat...I end up with soup. It's hard to do too much damage with soup.

I'm seriously pathetic at the moment. :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-22-2006
Wed, 02-01-2006 - 9:23pm

You are lucky that you are not a stress eater...I have the problem of being a stress eater, and a stress smoker. Gum doesn't help me too much, because my jaw starts to hurt too much too fast, so I don't bother with it.

Valerie
210/200/120

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2003
Thu, 02-02-2006 - 2:51am

Yeah I know.. I am very lucky I'm not a stress eater.. I eat when I am bored or when I am very occupied (mindless munching).. My problem is that I'm a big sweet-a-holic.. and I can eat thousands of calories in one sitting (I am not exaggerating, I did it a lot of times)

One question.. when stressed, how can eat and smoke at the same time?
Mary
247/216/165

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-22-2006
Thu, 02-02-2006 - 6:36am

I'll smoke while I'm getting something ready to eat, and then after I'll sometimes take a break in the middle of eating, and smoke, or smoke as soon as I'm done. I've been a smoker for 13 years and I smoke about 2 packs a day, so I'm smoking all the time. I get stressed very easily, because I have a problem with having no patience, and I've been working on it, but it's hard. My parents didn't have any patience with me growing up, and I think that is why. They yell at me all the time still to remind me that my kids are very little, and don't need to be rushed all of the time. I came from a household of spanking and yelling, and 2 parents that both stress eat. Most of my family is obese. I've had 2 aunts go through gastric bypass surgery, and a lot of family members on weightwatchers. One of my aunt's got so big that her back couldn't support her weight, and started to deteriate, and she had to have a medal rod put down her spine, to help her stand, and sit up. I yell alot, and have been getting better at controlling it. One of the main reasons that I got in the motivated to loose the weight zone is because I've seen the pain and health problems that it causes with diabetes, sleep anapeia, and not being able to walk, so I decided that's not what I want for my life, and am taking the first steps. I'm learning patience from my very patient boyfriend, who never yells, and am learning to drink water instead of eating(I never drank water before), and I walk or read when I want a cigarette really bad, and limit myself to one an hour to start cutting back.

Valerie
210/200/120

Avatar for saej72
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2003
Thu, 02-02-2006 - 12:20pm

oh, valerie..

i know exactly where you are coming from...
i am from a family of lazy, obese, smoking, "screamers" ....
all of my sibling yell at their kids constantly.. i am very fortunate to know what my limits are and when i am at the breaking point where i know i am gonna yell, i make sure DH gives me a "time out" (10-15minutes of alone time).
my dad died of obesity related illnesses at the age of 58.... he weighed over 300 lbs , had uncontrolled diabetes, sleep apnea, etc.. which could have been controlled/prevented if he would have lost weight and took care of himself..

the funny thing is that i had no problem not smoking when i was pg or nursing, but it's easy to fall back into the habit of smoking (i only smoke 1 pk pack a week, sometimes less)

the worst part about it is that, when i was in high school and college i was thin (120-150 lbs) but after is stopped being active in sports, marching band etc... i really packed on the weight..

If possible i would eat all the time.. i'm stressed, bored, angry etc

i try to drink as much water as possible.. most days i drink between 60-120 oz a day, and i go to the bathroom constantly... but at least i'm not snacking as much. plus i get a little exercise walking to the bathroom all the time LOL...

good luck

Sara
342/315/200
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/s/samanthagrace/

Sara  

342-300-200

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-22-2006
Thu, 02-02-2006 - 12:56pm

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I was very active in high school. I did band, marching band, cross country, and track and field. Then when all of that stopped, the weight started packing on fast. I was able to quit smoking during my oldest son's pregnancy, but after him, I had lost my twins in my second trimester, and they said that it could've been because of the withdrawal from quitting smoking cold turkey. Then when I got pregnant again, I cut back a little, but didn't quit completely, and had a healthy little girl, and my 3rd one, I don't think that I even cut back on my smoking with him at all. So I don't think that I'll ever completely quit, the longest I've gone without smoking since my pregnancy with my first son, was 1 month, and all I could think about was smoking. I think that it's more of a habit than anything else, because I smoke when I do just about everything, and when you do something for more than half of your life, it does become a habit.

Valerie
210/200/120

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-13-2005
Thu, 02-02-2006 - 3:09pm
I'm not a stress eater,but my sister is and like you when she gets upset,she'll eat the fridge out and still won't be satisfied.I went to a craft fair last month and got talking with a lady there,she was telling me about the benifits of those omega fish oil pills and what they have done for her and one of the things was it stopped her from stressing out about everything in the world and she said it helped to curb her hunger.So when I came home I told my sis about it and she went down to the walmart and bought a bottle of I think 2000mg omega fish oil pills they were about $9.00 a bottle.She started taking 2 a day and in just a few days she said she noticed she was not so fidgity or nervous.Then in about 2 weeks her husband even ask her what was wrong because he did'nt hear her yelling all the time at something or another.She has seen a great improvement over her stress levell even though nothing has changed at work nor home life and she has been able to stick to a diet something she has never been able to do.She seems more relaxed.Even though I don't eat when stress I do just the opposite,I got me a bottle this past weekend and have started them,it takes a week or so for you to tell the differance but who knows its worth a try. Hope It Works,Penny