Jennifer Lyon


Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Stress Eating

First I went on the stress diet. I lost a few more pounds than I intended thanks to Broken Leg Boy’s dramatic Christmas Eve stunt.

Okay it was an accident not a stunt. I don’t think BLB will qualify as a stunt man :-)

Even once he was home and under my care, I just didn’t have time to eat.  Oddly, no one really thought to bring by meals. That’s not because anyone  has been unkind, it just didn’t occur to them and I never asked.

But these last few days? As BLB is doing a bit more for himself, I’ve started eating.  It’s the other end of stress. And my big stress food?

Chocolate of course! As in chocolate chips that I happened to have in the house.  I’m sure I’ve gained most of those extra pounds back.

And I haven’t been to the gym since this happened.  I may or may not get back to the gym for many more weeks, just depending on what happens next.

So right now, my favorite stress food? Chocolate chips.

What’s yours?

 

16 comments to “Stress Eating”

  1. B.E Sanderson
    January 17th, 2012 at 7:19 am · Link

    Oh no. Stress eating is the worst. Why can’t we all want to stress eat something like celery?? Lately, I’ve been drawn to leftovers as my go-to stress food. If I’m feeling stressed, I forage through the fridge, eating whatever I can find from our previous meals.

    The new diet starts today. Eat less, exercise more. We don’t have a gym around here, so I’ll crank the tunes and dance around the living room like a crazy lady. It’s either that or what I call exer-cleaning. Burn calories and tidy the house. :shrug: We does what we can.



  2. Kat
    January 17th, 2012 at 9:53 am · Link

    My stress is salty things. Chips, peanuts, pretzels, I have a gallon bag of trail mix in my desk. You might think that it would be healthier but with all that salt the water retention goes up and the boold pressure- so not so good.

    Tonight my 9 year old daughter and I start a Body Image class sponsered by our local hospital together. My daughter is on the large side. She is very active and all but she is big boned and of course has a hard time from some of the kids at school. Especially when the schools are weighting the kids and sending home reports that say she is obeise. :evil: The class we are taking is about healthy eating exercise and self esteem with your body as it is healthy and yours. It is so much harder to raise a confident daughter than a son in today’s image based world. But I am giving it my best shot.



  3. Silver James
    January 17th, 2012 at 10:15 am · Link

    Oh, Kat! I hate what the schools are doing. Girls have such a hard time with body image just from media. Grrrrr. The Only’s school did a program on childhood obesity and she was marked as obese until I challenged the school nurse to check her body fat ratio. TO was a softball player (and a catcher). She had legs like an Olympic athlete, could do a hundred knuckle pushups (on her knuckles instead of flat palms) and 500 situps. There wasn’t a boy in the school who could do what she could physically. The school backed down. Unfortunately, now as an adult and after a series of eye surgeries, she probably is overweight now but she’s working to maintain muscle tone and eat healthy. Good on you for going to the experts. They can help deal better than the idiots at school.

    Jen, my go to is dark chocolate and pretzels. Together. A bite of chocolate, a bite of pretzel and chew. MmmMMMmm. I try REALLY hard to keep the munching to a handful of pretzels and one small square of dark chocolate. Like six times a day. LOL

    Hang in there, Jen. I know BLB is getting better every day!



  4. Jenn
    January 17th, 2012 at 10:23 am · Link

    B.E., how are you feeling on your first day with the kid gone again?

    I love certain leftovers too! I have learned to cook what works in my plan and eat that leftover for lunch with fruit. But chocolate chips in the house when I’m like this is just crazy :-)

    Exer-cleaning–trademark that and get rich as well as in shape!



  5. Jenn
    January 17th, 2012 at 10:25 am · Link

    Kat this makes me furious! I’m livid on you and your daughter’s behalf. I only raised sons, and I do think it’s easier. Two of mine worried about being too thin, and we worked hard to help them accept who they are, and learn about healthy ways to gain muscle weight. There are very dangerous ways to do it, and we were vigilant to makes sure they didn’t fall into that trap.

    But what the school is doing to your daughter is a crime. However, she has YOU and that will make all the difference. Trust me, it will.



  6. Jenn
    January 17th, 2012 at 10:28 am · Link

    Silver, mmmm dark chocolate! And I like pretzels too so I can totally see it.

    YAY for you going after the school about your daughter. You taught your daughter to be proud of her achievements and abilities–even if they don’t come packaged in a size two! All girls everywhere should have moms like you and Kat!



  7. Viki S.
    January 17th, 2012 at 11:47 am · Link

    Oh Jenn – understand where the stress eating comes from. You’ve had a lot on your plate and it only stands to reason that a girls best friend – chocolate is there to lend a hand. I’m a big m&m or good N plenty stress eater. They’re small so I justify them that way.
    You know, the fact that you’ve taken note of the stress eating is a huge step. I’m sure when things settle back down you’ll nip it in the bud.



  8. Candy
    January 17th, 2012 at 1:13 pm · Link

    Kat~ I really hate when schools come off as knowing more about your childs health than the parents. My daughter started putting on weight even though she stayed very active with soccer. That’s a lot of running to still be gaining weight when she really wasn’t eating all that much to begin with. Turned out she had a thyroid condition. I’m not saying that’s the issue with your daughter just that there are things in the body that can cause weight problems no matter how hard you try to fight them. I think your course of action is fantastic but don’t look over other things that could be causing a problem as well.

    The ideal image is not skinny in more. ALL women are beautiful!!



  9. Kat
    January 17th, 2012 at 1:52 pm · Link

    Thank you all. I plan to show my daughter this blog and let her know she has a real cheering team. Her Dad has diabeties as does most of his family. He honestly does not take care of himself as he should- does not eat right or exercise. My daughter worries that she could grow up and be like Daddy. I explain to her that it is all about her choices and she is making good ones right now. So we are doing the class to help both of us continue to make the right choices. Good habits have got to start young just like the bad ones do. But I don’t want to cause any issues for her by focusing on weight. I don’t talk about loosing weight as much as I say to my kids that I walk to be healthy or I am making a different choice of food to be healthy.



  10. Dawn
    January 17th, 2012 at 2:40 pm · Link

    Kat, good for you! Personally I don’t think the schools have any right to be weighing kids. At least, not unless they have the parents’ permission. Teaching about obesity is one thing. Making the kids uncomfortable about their bodies is another. They get enough of that from the other kids!

    My stress food is always chocolate. Add stress to my life and instant chocolate craving! Like I don’t crave chocolate enough WITHOUT the stress!



  11. Shiloh
    January 17th, 2012 at 4:42 pm · Link

    Kat- That is HORRIBLE! And really, doctors are not much help! My niece, who is 3, is the height of a 5 year old and weighs as much as the average 5 year old. Yet her pediatrician continually is telling my sister that she is overweight and needs to be on a diet because she weighs as much as a 5 year old. HELLO SHE IS ALSO AS TALL AS A 5 YEAR OLD!!!! :evil: They don’t take that into consideration, all they want to look at is their growth charts which are averages and haven’t been updated in 30 years! GRRR!! I’m sorry, it makes me mad too! I have 2 boys so I don’t have to contend with that as much.

    Jen- Mr. Goodbars, and nachos, and chicken stir-fry! All three of those are my go-to stress foods. Although I just had Chipolte’s steak bowl for lunch last week and that may be included on the list along with their awesome margaritas! :mrgreen:

    Is it too early for appletinis?? Anyone?? :wink:



  12. Jenn
    January 17th, 2012 at 7:06 pm · Link

    Viki, thanks! I’m trying not to worry too much as the chocolate chips are self limiting. I finished them today and won’t buy more. And you’re right, being aware helps. We’ve all been concentrating on eating healthy–lots of fruits, vegetables and protein to keep going.

    Wizard LOVES M&Ms! I like them too, but try not to start, I almost can’t stop with those.



  13. Jenn
    January 17th, 2012 at 7:08 pm · Link

    Candy, so well said! I think your story about your daughter is really important. She’s lucky you were observant enough to realize something else was going on.

    Thinness is not necessarily healthy. We know that and yet we keep promoting the idea. It’s dangerous!



  14. Jenn
    January 17th, 2012 at 7:10 pm · Link

    Kat, I’m glad everyone is helping, but honestly, you sound like you’re on the right track. Weight is just a number, but health is about overall choices, attitude and lets face it, luck. Bad health happens to good people for various reasons.

    And lets not forget how important enjoying life is too!

    Your daughter sound like a smart, thoughtful and beautiful girl in all ways.



  15. Jenn
    January 17th, 2012 at 7:12 pm · Link

    Dawn, so with you on the chocolate cravings without stress! I’ve developed a few tricks for that in my everyday life. BUT those tricks wouldn’t have worked when I was going non stop raising my kids. It’s amazing how much stress the kids we love more than our lives can be :-)



  16. Jenn
    January 17th, 2012 at 7:13 pm · Link

    Shiloh, a five year old on a diet? That makes me shudder! And yeah, it sounds like that’s her normal growth rate.

    I love chicken stir fry too! I can eat that until I’m sick! But then, if I had my way, we’d have chicken and/or pasta six days a week, and beef once. Wizard isn’t a fan of that idea :-)



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