Friday, June 5, 2009

Stress Eating

I am a stress eater.

I always have been.

I learned at an early age to manage feelings by putting food in my mouth.

Food made feel better.

But the food I was eating also made me fat.

As I was learning to change my thoughts about my body, and learning to feel my feelings without resorting to food, somebody asked me, “What can you do besides eat?”

At first, I couldn’t think of anything.  Seriously.  Eating was the one and only way I could manage my stress.  Eating was what I lived for, especially at 6 pm on a Friday night, when I’d had a long week at work.  I would walk directly to the refrigerator, open the door, pull out a container of whatever, stand in front of the refrigerator, with the door still open, and eat.

But I eventually found some answers to that question, and here are a few things I do now instead of eating under stress.

1  Call a friend.  Loving support makes all the difference.

2  Write.  Put pen to paper and let it rip.

3  Go for a walk.  Enjoy the beauty of the natural world.

4  Clean something you love.  It can be a creative act.

5  Take a bubble bath.  Essential oils, anyone?

6  Go for a bike ride.  Enjoy your neighborhood.

7  Read.  Fill yourself with inspiration.

8  Meditate.  Be still.  Be quiet.  And breathe.

9  Listen to music.  A powerful mood shifter, right?

10 Go for a run.  I always feel better after a run.

What can you do besides eat?

Let me know!



Up Next:  Think and Grow Thin

Check out the FREE stuff at my website:  http://www.fallinlovewithyourbody.com


1 comment:

  1. These are great suggestions, Kristin! Very helpful. I'd add doing something creative that engages my hands and imagination -- coloring a mandala while listening to music, knitting, working on some piece of art.

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Weight Loss Consultant

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Lincoln, NE
Kristin Heslop, DMA, has gained and lost over a thousand pounds throughout her life. A musician by trade and training, Dr. Heslop attended Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. She holds a Master of Music degree from Wichita State University, and a doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Heslop has taught at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Concordia University, Union College, Wichita State University, and Enterprise Academy. She has performed on the flute, piano, harpsichord, and organ throughout the Midwest. In addition to music she derives great pleasure from political and environmental activism, creating visual art, and hearing her cat Lukas purr.