EXACTLY how to end emotional eating

punching bag of course. good way to burn a couple calories and build up the shoulders.

Maybe this is a girly suggestion, but I’ve found it very helpful to keep a journal. I write in the mornings and it’s basically just stream- of-consciousness. A lot of petty, stupid thoughts and worries or whatever. No censoring. 3 pages. On days that I do this, I find myself reacting much less to external stresses.

going to the track for a drive seems to help me relieve of my stress. makes you concentrate so much that you will not be thinking about anything else.

music gives you an extra 10% in the gym, try these out:

aint no sunshine (DMX) – great for skipping warm up

Kobrakai (lost prophets) – hard hitting weights

Sexy bitch (akon ft. david guetta) – cardio

Burning Heart (rocky sountrack) – running through the snow in Russia

admittedly i’ve not tried the last one but im certain it would work.

Running is a GREAT stress reliever. Great article btw. I love the song Feel Good, Inc. by Gorillaz

As a fitness professional that has had weight issues in the past, for me the emotional aspect of eating AND training is so important. On a bad day my partner’s coping mechanism is cooking, and I love to eat, so that’s a bad combination!

But my favoured coping mechanism for stress is actually to train with weights. That’s the one that I am focuassing on now.

Stress? Phone a friend – I phone my sister and we talk for hours – really helps!

Painting your nails also helps – no way you can get your hand into that packet of cheese curls with wet nail poilish

Music – Black Eyed Peas I’ve Got A Feeling is my current fave

you think journaling’s girly? The best stress reliever I ever found pumps up the oxytocin in a way no guy can ever can–nursing and cooing to my little boy!

Screaming and throwing things help for me :), of course I try to reach for non-breakables ;). Screaming (of course where you disturb no-one) relieves a lot of tension in the muscles. Sometimes I do pushups until I’m too tired to care. For those of you who are Afrikaans, I like the song of Ray Dylan “Die lewe het nie brieke nie” to unwind a bit. Roughly translated, life has no brakes, go kick-ass!

Current feel good songs = Florence and the Machine – Rabbit Heart
Daniel Merryweather – Red

Some longer faves:
Dashboard Confessional – Vindicated
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – False pretence (when pushing hard)
Jack Penate – Be the One

Will be investigating your music taste Mr. Marion!

Dude, awesome post….glad you have enough dicsipline to stop that cookie eating at 63, I think we can all learn a lot from you.

MGMT are epic…saw them live recently and they were amazing. Also, love the Noisettes (English band) at the moment – slightly old school really catchy tracks. ANYTHING by linkin park when your running.

I always find talking to a friend who makes you laugh at yourself helps to beat stress.

If I’m stressed, I like to take naps or go for a walk with my dog :D
And I LOVE working out to Muse! Some great songs:
Plug In Baby
Time is Running Out
Hysteria
Feeling Good
Sunburn

I do tae kwon do so if I’m not in a position to get to the gym, I find an open space to practice forms (simulated fight) or punch and/or kick the heavy bag I hung in my garage. Both require focus and get my mind off the stress at hand.

Doing a low impact cardio like walking combined with lifting a some heavy weights does the trick for me!!!

I love running to relieve stress – but be careful – it turned into an addiction for me and I am now running half-marathons! Long, slow-go cardio…contrary to what all the experts are saying is best for fat burning and weight loss – but I can’t help it – I LOVE it!

Great blog today Joel – especially as summer ends and school starts up again – natural stess increasers…gotta find a way to deal in a positive way!

This was a timely blog. I know for sure I’m an emotional eater. The bell went off one particular day when I was dealing with a) my cell phone carrier b) road construction on a road that’s a nightmare to begin with and c)stupid adults. What I really wanted was to shove my face in a cheesecake but I ordered a salad instead. I was too hungry to go for a run but I probably could have ran from here to Columbus that’s how pissed I was. At any rate, this is something I have to learn to deal with. I DO use music, always have, as a stress reliever. The one “go-to” I can always count on is Van Halen. Paticularly 1984, in it’s entirety. It’s just goofy rock ‘n roll.

Fantastc post… I really enjoyed reading it. Bravo on the cookies… I am an ice-cream-a-holic… Coldstone 5 mins from my house! For me… Also a huge music lover – turning on the vibes and dancing hard is the best stress reliever! A true outlet of all and any emotions. But when I am not dancing, a high intensity hill sprint session to Linkin Park does the trick :)
Thank you for all the wonderful advice!

Thx Joel doesn’t stress give out a lot of Energy I was thinking what about the gym?

BANNED USER.

I like it and yes, I agree,music soothes the minds of the beast. You see them in movies. I find that some meditative practice helps when I am getting stressed out and ready to go all out eating binge. Yoga and/or punching the bag – anger management reliever.

Sue

I LOVED your post here. I DEFINITELY can eat out of emotion and it’s been the death of every diet I’ve tried to stay on. Lately, I’ve been trying to conquer a new project when I feel stressed, whether it’s to paint a room or clean out closets … whatever. It takes my mind off the things I’m stressing over, gives me a sense of accomplishment and usually, the things I’m stressing over don’t seem so big anymore. As for music … I have a GREAT band. They’re called HOLLER WILD ROSE. Check out their website to get a taste of their stuff. They happen to be friends of mine. They have a really unique sound. I think everyone would love them. They’re on iTunes as well. Thanks

It is the fresh air that does it for me. Whether its a walk, bike ride or just yard work helps to refocus and move away from the stresser.

I’m with you on the music. 5 of your 10 are already favorites of mine – can’t wait to check out the other 5! I like to work in the yard – pull some vicious weeds or hack at my overgrown bushes. If the weather’s bad, I’ll vigorously clean something. My family always knows when I’m mad if I start cleaning!

@Julia Sifers –
Ah, Morning Pages!!! (The Artist’s Mind, for those of you going, huh?)

The best thing that helped me stop emotional eating or binge eating for that matter is WRITING. I keep a journal handy all the time…. and I use it to vent my emotions instead of inhaling food.

Very therapeutic and releasing!! Oh… and a good round of Pilates always helps too :)

Stress? I blow that fire into a musical instrument. I’m pretty sure there are studies out there that show the stress-relieving properties of playing music.

Ah, and blackouts. I hate them and they are common during storms. Whenever one of them happens, all the neighborhood knows that a recorder is gonna be the only sound available until power gets back. Playing music takes away the stress of the blackout itself and it’s like a welcome -yet unexpected- signal to stop whatever I’m doing and relax…….

some helpful ideas for someone who has lived more than enough stress the last few years :-)) …bankruptcy, foreclosure, now unemployment…

but thanking God for what I do have now is a big stress reliever!

Stress relief for me is cooking. No really! It’s comething that’s always soothed me (blame my parents ’cause I pretty much grew up in kitchens – home and commercial). I just make different things now. No cookies or cakes, but something healthy and “fiddley”. Like vegetable/tomato sauce – dicing and shredding (always by hand when I’m stressed – that’s the therapy) several pounds of produce for a large batch takes your brain off your problems and on keeping fingers attached. There’s also the bonus of homemade sauce in the freezer ready to go when you need it.

Hey Joel, Thanks for the post. I was the one who gave that question for you and Craig. I am a father of three boys, two of which have disabilities (the oldest is autistic and the middle son is blind). This causes me and my wife more stress than you can imagine. A few years ago I delt with stress with cookies and icecream. I weighed 50lbs more back then than I do today because I found better ways to deal with stress. These include biking, running, hot baths and drinking teas with camomile and hops in it. The tea really helps.
One of the worst things I did resently was I hurt my back so I couldn’t run or bike for a couple of days while it healed. I got really depressed and stressed so I got a bag of chocolate covered almonds and ate them all. Thing problem was, afterwards it didn’t help. I actually felt worse because I was now upset with myself for ruining my diet.

Haha, i tend to eat alot when im bored, and watching programmes, lol.. im trying to stop but its harrrd!!! lol.. and i get hungry tooooo often. But when im stressed i tend to use breathing techniques, listen to music, btw i LOVE anberlin, only started listening to them a while back, and i like to do weights when im stressed, and your right, u can just keep going until youve calmed down and realised DAMN iv been doing these weights for agess..! but it feels good.
Great posts Joel. :D

Music is a great mood lifter but actually doing something relieves stress for me. Take your dog for a walk; it’ll be good for both of you. Go for a bike ride. Do a fifteen minute circuit routine. Complete a task you’ve been putting off – clean out a drawer or cabinet. Go through your closet and gather clothes to give to charity that you no longer wear. This way you’ll at least accomplish something. GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN AND AWAY FROM TEMPTATION.

For me, bubble baths and hot tea. The quiet time alone helps me relax and think through the situation. Knowing that I’m taking care of myself makes me feel more confident and in control. Plus…who doesn’t love bubbles? :)

Joey, one thing i have always observed is that, chiseled muscular gym gods like you are also worried and constantly watching what they eat. Some of them boast during party talk that they always eat anything and everything and they never worry about dieting or watching out what they eat. Yet, when you take them to the side and observe their routine, they are also staying away from all the fatty foods, fast food eat outs, ice cream, late nite eating. Looks like a never ending battle.

I love to cruise and drive. I take the long way home after work to relax, with the windows down and drving slow to listen and relax.

When you stree-relief run, do you still run intervals?

Ohhhh, and a great stress relief song is “Let the Drummer Kick”by Citizen Cope.

Trust me, wanna relax? you need this.

I totally agree with the music. Seriously, I would have quit college if it wasn’t for my music and sound system in my GTI Rabbit. The commute was horrible, but since I had a killer sound system and ground shaking bass, I could just block out the traffic stress easily. This is also true of a stressful day and the need to workout, but you need to have a good selection to keep you motivated throughout the workout. I like house music or my own mixes. The idea is keep a upbeat constant tempo in order for your workout to keep the same pacing. You get into a kind of a trance as you focus on your routine and let the music keep you moving. It is all in the beats. ;-)

Music flat-out makes me feel better and lifts my mood. I can workout without it, but I would rather not. It does make a big difference in my intensity.

Deep breathing — in for two seconds, hold for two seconds, out for two seconds — works for me. It usually takes 25-30 cycles of those to defuse the stress response and clear my head again. The good thing is that the same technique will get you past a compulsive craving if you’re having one, whether for food or alcohol or a cigarette or whatever.

And if journaling and playing with my children are “girly,” you can have my man card right now. ;)

Porcupine Tree, Porcupine Tree, Porcupine Tree. They’re about to launch their new album this 14th and their music just keeps getting better (theyve been around since early 80s).

Try “Blackest Eyes” for a start. :)

To relieve stress I jump on my bike and ride several miles with an increased heart rate. If weather is poor I get on my recumbent stationary bike and jam to Madonna tunes. I like lifting weights listening to The Doors ( Love her Madly) I know it’s old tunes but at 59 it’s what I like and the rhythym works for my reps. I like some of all kinds of music so going to find some of the tracks you listed Joel.

Get into a quiet and dark room.

Medidate. or

Do some Qi Gong exercises and then let the /qi go through my body for a few minutes. I know Qi Gong is best done in the morning facing the rising sun but one it works for cravings at any time.

That is exactly what I deal with every day. Stress eating. I guess I just need to keep those thoughts in mind when the stress hits. One of the things I do like to try at times is a good stretching routine. I don’t always get that in so these are good times for that. It relieves the stress in more ways than one. Thanks for the post.

I can’t believe no-one has yet suggested this obvious stress-buster… sex.

3 songs that always get me buzzing (2 WWE related) Story of the year – Just close your eyes, Killswitch engage – this fire burns, and Nas – Hip hop is dead, it’s the guitar in all of them that really get you going, I urge you to check them out Mr. Marion ;)

Hi there, what if you are the opposite? I never feel like eating when i’m stressed, i can’t seem to swollow when i’m upset, during stress is not when im eating, rather binging, its just after…. you know, when the weight is lifted off my shoulders and the world is a wonderful place again, its then when i want to stuff my face with cookies…. is this strange? I can’t think as to why this is, maybe its like a reward to myself? I don’t know, but i need some tips as to how to deal with the good relief after stress, not the stress!!!

GREAT post, Joel. I heard a piece a while back on NPR regarding how fat, salt and sugar alter brain chemicals (I guess that’s why we are vulnerable when we are stressed):
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103862714

I know that slow cardio is not the best way to lose weight or gain muscle, but I do like it for relieving stress and depression. It is amazing how much my mood changes just after a couple of miles. And it sometimes even motivates me to throw in a few “strides” (sections of fast running; not as fast as sprinting, but close) for interval training.

Another thing I do is to meditate. I use biaural CDs similar to the one you recommended a while back that elicits alpha wave.

Hi.
I work at a restaurant, so when I get really stressed out at work I can eat a lot of delicious food but I can’t go out for a walk or anything and the music is reeeeally slow and cozy so that doesn’t help either.. anything else you could suggest for someone in my position? :)

Medicine ball slams in a conditioning circuit. Boo yah!

Chew gum. Go for a walk in my garden. WORK in my garden. Get my 6 year old and go for a bike ride. Crochet. Go to Bed. Take my husband and go to bed…if I can get past the first 5-10 minutes of an impulse, I can almost always beat it.

It’s puzzling that most of us are conditioned to do something unhealthy when we are stressed (and often more so when we are too relaxed and in a celeberatory mood). Smoking is a stupid habit, usually beginning because of peer pressure. What makes it a stress reliever (or part of a celebration), sometimes along with food, later on.

Maybe more work on willpower and self-discipline are the answers. There are interventions which will help. In my book the best approach is to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle.

I have a couple of ways to deal with stress. First, I like to listen to a CD I burned of Jimmy Buffet, Kid Rock and some other country rock that makes everything seem silly once I start jammin’. Second, I clean. Since I hate to clean, I try to keep stress down to a minimum. If ALL else fails, before I can stuff my face with anything, I drink down one HUGE glass of water. Often, while drinking down the water, I’m able to keep myself to my focus and grab some almonds instead…

THis is great! Just last week, I got the news that my sister was staying for another year, so naturally, I reached for the choc-chip cookies… and the chocolate biscuits…and a couple of packets of crisps…
GUILTY!
I’m gonna use these! This week, I tried driking water…ew. I hate the taste, but I’m trying to get 4 glasses a day.

And here ends my rambling message.

@Joel Marion

Indeed. I was just thinking the same thing. Best thing about iron: it doesn’t complain, whine, cry, need snuggling or demand that you tell it that you love it. It just waits for you to prove yourself. :)

you wanna knoww hat gets me out of the crappy stress mode? its listening to really foreign music!! try listening to fayrooz also pronounced feyrouz or fierouz, or listen to najwa karam their voices are amazing and you dont understand crap but thats the point..check em out

Great Post!

When I get stressed out, there is nothing better than cranking the i-pod and running to serious beats.

Paul

I just purchase a punching box along with the gloves and I discover that it’s a great way to relive stress.

Arlene

I think everyone has to remember that stress eating at some point is only human. Everyone buries their troubles in junk food, alcohol, nicotine etc… at some point. The biggest key for me is remembering to get right back on track after the “slip”. It’s way too easy to tell yourself, “well I blew it already today so I might as well keep eating crap and finish out the day”. The key is to accept we’re human and get get right back on track and cut ourselves a little slack for the momentary lapse.

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