Love You: Are you a stress eater?

At almost 52, the penny finally dropped that I am a stress eater. I tend to cope pretty well in the moment and calm in a crisis and all that ….but!

After the challenges, when the stress has abated I can run into difficulties. I guess previously I would have had a “rewarding” glass of wine and now it seems to be eating foods I don’t want and don’t need. I do still love my job but need to acknowledge that there is a stressful element to it. I recognise patterns of activity in my weekly schedule. These patterns are likely to trigger stress. They also trigger unhelpful behaviours. When our brains are tired from making decisions all day, they need energy. This need can translate into quick sugar snacks. At that point, we have no further ability to make a rational decision to make a healthy choice.

I am thinking I need a plan and pause strategy. Plan better what I would like to eat and anticipate the stress I am likely to feel at certain times. I also need to pause and rest and restore when I come home.

Why does this matter?

My IBS flares during these times and this impacts on my sleep which further adds to the likelihood for more stress – which means cycles repeat, repeat, repeat!

But what of failure too?

Well, not getting it right all the time is part of life. I will not give up on trying to be a healthy eater every time I fail. My lovely Mum always says we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and move on. I plan on doing just that.

So….

Love You when healthy eating goes wrong!

Love You when you can learn from your experiences!

Love You for not being afraid to start over….again, and again and again.