New/need support

Hi all,

I have just signed up. I need help, I do try to eat healthy but I have a very stressful job (Mental Health Support Worker) and when I am stressed out I reach for sugary foods that aren't good for me. Any tips/motivation?

Thank you.

[margrete]

Do the sugary foods actually make you feel any better? Often people eat these as 'comfort' but in fact, they don't provide any comfort at all. They don't solve the basic problem i.e. that you're carrying a lot of other people's burdens, have unrealistic expectations placed on you, are short of time to do all that you have to do. Sugary foods do not solve any problems at all.

[Hidden in reply to margrete]

They don't really, do for about 2 minutes and then I feel rubbish I just need a lot of motivation really.

[margrete in reply to Hidden]

I think once you realise that the things you pop into your mouth for 'comfort' do not actually bring any comfort, in fact the reverse, that's an important milestone and you can move on from there. I've had stressful jobs in the past but I didn't eat for 'comfort', more like 'because it was there'. Mindlessly, in other words, and yes, often I did feel 'rubbish' afterwards, an upset tummy or just feeling sluggish and slow-moving. I think the answer is probably - not have it available, as bubblybunny suggests. People talk about 'the biscuits called to me from the cupboard' - well, if there are no biscuits in the cupboard they can't be calling to you!

[bubblybunny]

I can empathise with the very stressful job as a headteacher. Don't use this as an excuse, like I did. I have been on the 12 week plan for four weeks so far and have lost 5.3kg. This is completely down to the fact that each week I plan out exactly what I am going to eat, buy that food and nothing else and each day I take my food to work and stick to it. I have a few healthy emergency snacks in case I get held up at work to stop 'hunger pangs' which in the past have had me reaching for the biscuits/snacks. Good luck and tell yourself you are doing it every day. I have also told lots and lots of people that I am going to shed the three stone I have put on over the last two years - that makes me more determined to do it!!

[Hidden]

I can relate to this. I don't really have a stressful job but I did once volunteer for a health service and sweet things were the way we passed the time. Maybe you could have some nuts and dried fruit on your desk which you can munch away on when you need a pick me up?

In the long run, you will need a non-food replacement for those bad moments but changing what is on your desk or in your bag could be a start.

[Jane73]

I eat at work because I'm bored! we have a canteen downstairs and I have to walk past it to get in and out of the buildings so in the morning I face the smell of bacon sandwiches, lunchtimes it's usually the smell of chips....... very difficult

[serafy]

Bring your food with you. It worked with me.

[serafy in reply to serafy]

If you can try to use wii fit. I is very helpfull

[katedaniels]

Hello,

There are alternatives.

For example can you go for a walk? If something is stressing me out at work I take my break and walk for 15 minutes and that clears my head. If it's t home if I can get away from the problem for a while that helps.

Are the sugary foods at work or at home? If they're at home, stop buying them. If they're at work (the 'treat table' in my office is between my desk and the door, it's a challenge every day!) can you take an alternative route to avoid them?

If you're getting stressed at work can you go have a bit of a whinge to a friend/colleague, sometimes just talking about the problem can alleviate the pressure and stop you being stressed.

I quite often get irritated by how slow things happen at work, so when I get home I put on an exercise dvd or something on the Wii and feel like i've really achieved something.

A bar of chocolate makes me feel fantastic, while i'm eating it, then once it's finished i'm having to work out how many calories was in it to see how much exercise I have to do to counteract it. This has had a big impact, a bar of chocolate can be over in seconds yet it can take up to 30 minutes of exercising to undo it :/

If you really need to eat something look for healthier alternatives, or smaller alternatives. If you do turn to chocolate instead of having a bar try a freddo.

Good luck, it was hard to break my cookie and chocolate habit but it can be done and i feel much better for it now. I still have them but now it's a treat rather than a daily occurrence

Kate

[bubbles19]

Hi lisaj24,

I can relate to you in regards to doing a stressful job! I have been a senior social worker for 26 years, and during this time my weight has been up and down. I have always tried to eat a healthy diet but it can be difficult. I have recently lost 1 stone by cutting down on fatty/sugar foods and jogging 5 days a week. I still allow myself a treat daily as I find this helps me to stay on track. When I first started dieting, I wrote down everything I ate and calculated my calorie intake and tried to stay within my calorie allowance daily. It was tedious to do this daily, however it worked for me. I replaced eating sugary foods with fresh fruit, dried fruit and nuts which I really enjoy. I also cut down on carbohydrates and fatty foods and increased my vegetables intake.

Finally In my opinion I believe that the key to losing weight is diet and exercise together. To begin with it is hard work, but when you see the results it is worth it!

Good Luck.