I love to run. I’m not great at it, but I love it. I also love to eat, I love food so so sooo much – I love mexican food, salsa and chips, hamburgers, sourdough bread and most of all, BROWNIES! When I have a really stressful day, either with my kids, or with work, I have a choice between eating a huge, chewy, chocolate brownie (which I love more than you will ever know), or jumping on my treadmill and running a couple miles. I hate to admit it but, more often than it should, the brownie wins.
It’s so crazy because I’ll catch myself pulling a box of brownie mix from my stockpile whenever I’ve had an unexceptionally stressful day. It’s like I’m on auto pilot; if I have a misunderstanding with a good friend, or too many arguments with my oldest son over his homework, or if my youngest (who is potty training), has repeated accidents, I automatically reach for a box of brownies to fix it and make it all better. That’s how I know that I’m absolutely a Stress-Eater.
Yesterday was one of those days where it seemed like every corner I turned I was putting out a fire or getting frustrated at my kids. I was trying so hard to be patient and “super-mom” all at the same time and I failed miserably! Me and the kids has just spent the last hour trying to make glitter-snow playdough that left cornstartch all over the kitchen and the all over the kids, and don’t even get me started with where the glitter ended up. By 5pm I 
was about to chow down on every Christmas cookie that I could stuff into my mouth! I was exhausted and totally ready for a break. I was stressed to the max and ready to indulge! But, You would be proud, I laced up my running shoes and hopped on my treadmill and ran a couple miles instead.
I’ve just recently been able to recognize that one of my poor food habit triggers is stress. Now that I know this, I’m trying to replace the desire to eat something that I may regret later, with an activity that can relieve my stress instead. Tada! Running is perfect for this! It’s a great was to melt stress off my body and it’s great for my mood! It’s not rocket science, but it’s hard to make a good choice when you want that instant gratification that comes from indulging in a yummy treat! I’m trying to be better at this and recognizing my triggers is the first step!
What are your triggers? How do you deal with stress? If you are anything like me and tend to turn to food when you are stressed, tired, exhausted, or emotional then consider these tips before you take your next bite:
- Identify your triggers
- Make a list of your top triggers
- Find some type of exercise that you enjoy – walking, running, dancing, zumba, exercise video, karate, etc.
- Make a list of the exercises you enjoy
- Hang that list on your refrigerator where you can see it every time you are about to “stress-eat”
- Actively choose one of exercises from your list next time you are stressed instead of indulging in a treat
It sounds really simple, but it’s actually really hard – for me at least! But I know you can do it! Let me know how it goes! Good luck!
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