Healthy Weight Loss

[midwest chick]

Originally Posted by Miss Scarlett

It's interesting isn't it? This close connection between our emotions and eating.

There's a flip side to stress eating and I haven't seen it mentioned here...stress not-eating.

Has anyone experienced this?

Guilty as charged...what's crazy is that when things start to calm down, and I start eating again, the weight loss begins, and I can't make it stop. During extreme stress, my cortisol levels shoot up, and combined with less sleep, I can't lose weight even if I try to diet and exercise.

Apparently, lack of sufficient sleep also plays a large role in increasing the cortisol levels, which translates into an increase in abdominal fat (stress) storage. Vicious cycle for anyone dealing with difficulties, especially when combined with insomnia.

[girl_dee]

"snap snap snap!!!"

[SometimesSweet]

Hey All, I just wanted to say how much I am able to relate to what has been shared. Talk about motivation irony, it is amazing to me how I can spend so much time and energy on dating site looking for Ms. Right, instead of getting out there and moving my body to attract the very Ms. Right I seek.

I will be following this thread for certain, thanks for everyone's sharing it is really great!

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by SometimesSweet

Hey All, I just wanted to say how much I am able to relate to what has been shared. Talk about motivation irony, it is amazing to me how I can spend so much time and energy on dating site looking for Ms. Right, instead of getting out there and moving my body to attract the very Ms. Right I seek.

I will be following this thread for certain, thanks for everyone's sharing it is really great!

Welcome to the thread and the site!

Start with taking care of you and Ms. Right will find you.

[Miss Scarlett]

Originally Posted by midwest chick

Guilty as charged...what's crazy is that when things start to calm down, and I start eating again, the weight loss begins, and I can't make it stop. During extreme stress, my cortisol levels shoot up, and combined with less sleep, I can't lose weight even if I try to diet and exercise.

Apparently, lack of sufficient sleep also plays a large role in increasing the cortisol levels, which translates into an increase in abdominal fat (stress) storage. Vicious cycle for anyone dealing with difficulties, especially when combined with insomnia.

Interesting that you can't lose during that time. And I forgot about the insomnia that often accompanies this. Yes, it is indeed a vicious cycle.

Not losing weight when stress not-eating is not a problem for me...not sleeping usually is. My biggest problem comes from it being difficult to start eating again after things calm down but that's mostly because of the stomach pain from the stress.

Another here who doesn't eat when stressed. I believe it's a control issue. At those times of stress, especially when feeling powerless or having no control in various areas of life then food intake is the only thing one can control.

Also in times of stress, my tendency is to 'not care' about looking after or nurturing m'self. A lack of food is part of that.





You mean you didn't realise I was a nutjob before now?

[Kelt]

I guess I hadn't really thought about this in quite a while. When I was younger and I would get stressed I would get a very upset stomach and would not be able to eat because of that.

Somewhere in my middle 30s a switch flipped somewhere. Ever since then stress seems to trigger emotional eating, specifically sugar.

Sugar is my kryptonite.

[girl_dee]

PaPa is helping me to snap my elastic!

It does help, to "snap" rather than snack

Also chewing gum helps...

But today i had a cookie.

[PaPa]

Originally Posted by girl_dee

PaPa is helping me to snap my elastic!

It does help, to "snap" rather than snack

Also chewing gum helps...

But today i had a cookie.

I really like that!! "Snap NOT Snack!"
I may try this behavioral modification strategy too now.
Have you truly found it has worked??

[girl_dee]

Originally Posted by PaPa

I really like that!! "Snap NOT Snack!"
I may try this behavioral modification strategy too now.
Have you truly found it has worked??

it sounds crazy, but it has. Around 3pm at work everyone wants a snack, popcorn, cookies, ice cream.... and i want to munch too even though i am not anywhere near hungry and it will ruin my appetite for supper...

so i snapped and stopped thinking about snack!

[Kelt]

Warning: product endorsement ahead.

Something that I like to do as a way of keeping an eye on things is to periodically take my measurements. I do this quarterly, it is long enough to show significant progress between measurings. It can also be really encouraging when it seems that progress seems slow. (and helps when shopping for replacement clothing)

I have always just used a cloth measuring tape meant for sewing. I ended up getting this specific body measuring tape as sort of an accident, it ended up being free when I had it shipped with something else.

The Myotape



Getting the measurement right if you don't have someone to help is kind of tricky. I would keep dropping it, or pulling it too tight, or leaving it too loose.This little thing makes it really simple. You just put it really loose around the body part and put the little pin on the end in the holder, then you just push a button and it automatically adjusts to the proper tension and holds it there. Then you can just unhook it and easily get the correct reading. You get the same tension every time. It seems like a little thing, and I never would've bothered with it, but I find it is a really cool little device.

It's $5 on Amazon.

[Syr]

Originally Posted by girl_dee

PaPa is helping me to snap my elastic!

It does help, to "snap" rather than snack

Also chewing gum helps...

But today i had a cookie.

You best be reading labels as gum is usually full of artificial sweeteners

[Miss Scarlett]

This past month has been an out of control emotional roller coaster for me for far too many reasons...as a result I haven't been eating, just can't, and have lost 14.6 lbs as of this morning. I see my WL doctor this morning and can't wait to see what his scale shows...that's where I get my "official" weight. He'll be thrilled at my loss but is going to blow a gasket when he finds out how I did it.

This is a scary time for me; not eating has become very easy and, heaven help me, somewhat "comforting" which is NOT a good thing at all. It's no secret that I am a recovering Bulimarexic, I've posted about it many times. And while I'm not in the incidious binge/purge cycle, I fear that I am heading down the more perfidious path of anorexic behaviors. And they are far more difficult to overcome...

[alexri]

Originally Posted by Syr

You best be reading labels as gum is usually full of artificial sweeteners

Glee Gum is a really good natural brand that does not have aspartame or any of the nasty other artificial chemicals. They even sell a home kit for making you own gum. Spry gum is also another good brand.

I avoid any of the major national brands because of the chemicals, dyes and artificial ingredients they put in the gum.