5 Ways to De-stress and Stop Overeating

Well we made it through another new year and this time it had the extra stress of a pandemic. The numbers at all three of my facilities remained fairly steady but we certainly didn’t have the surge of new members like January/February usually brings. Truthfully, that is okay with us. My team is struggling hard to keep up with the demands of running our two facilities (we don’t run the third facility if you are wondering) and easing us into the new year has been a relief. We aren’t the only ones feeling the added stress I’m sure!

Now stress is an entirely other subject that has been studied and studied and plays a huge contributing factor in a wide range of diseases and issues. I can write post after post on stress and the effects it has on my clients alone but I am sticking with my topic today! Which is rare by the way but I’ll give it a go.

How does stress play a role in you overeating? A TON.

Let’s discuss what we can classify as stress first. Stress can be anything. My stress may not be your stress. I can speak in front of thousands of people and not flinch. I know a few people that would rather cut their arm off before standing on a stage and speaking. I get wildly stressed over accounting and money. My accountant literally shimmied with delight the other day when I handed him an IRS audit form. “OH, I love doing those.” Huh? Did he just use the word love?

My hubs will say big/meaningful/stressful things that is bothering him and will ask for my help. I could care less about them because they don’t stress me and I will respond with a simple sentence and he will just stare at me in amazement. Once he even said, “Well that was easy.” Yes it is dear, easy peasey. I do acknowledge his stress and worries but the point is that they just don’t bother me. So, stress is relative to you.

Common stressors with fitness and nutrition can be a host of things: am I doing this wrong? will I get hurt? what if I fail at this task? what if I gain weight? what if I don’t get stronger? what if I am wasting my time? what if this messes up my system? I don’t even know where to start with my nutrition. I don’t have the time. my family won’t support me. will everyone make fun of me?

Oh- the glorious mom… How stressful is it being a mom? That may be the biggest stress of all. Especially with their fitness and nutrition. Moms tend to put others needs first and completely forget about their own. Maybe they have planned some time for themselves but after completing 9,000,000 tasks, they are left with zero energy and brain power. They fix dinner for everyone else and then eat what is left. They grab what is leftover on the kiddos plate. Or even worse, they forget to eat all together. I have worked very closely with one mom that went full speed all day and by dinnertime she had not eaten a bite. She then grabbed everything within arms reach. She had developed this crazy bad habit that took us months to break. She was already aware of the habit but she just had no clue how to break it and it became this gigantic stress for her.

I also see where people find or come up with a “wish” that they want to change or accomplish. That’s an awesome first step but without the guidance of how to move forward, it grows and grows into this huge stress ball following them around.

Do you want to actually try and stick to your goals? For real this time. Try these tips for breaking bad habits and creating good ones!

Mentally Prepare Yourself for Change The biggest hurdle when trying to change yourself is always getting past the mental block that stops you from working hard and trying your best. Try to acknowledge that your New Year’s Resolution or another goal is going to be difficult to keep up with. If you’re mentally prepared to deal with those low moments where you want to give up, then you’re more likely to push through and keep going. Also, mentally prepare yourself for the high moments as well. Think about how awesome you’ll feel about accomplishing your goal for the day.
Set a Goal That Motivates You Consider the reasons why you’re choosing a specific resolution. Is it for yourself? Your health? Your family? Try to think about these reasons when you feel like giving up. If the goal motivates you enough, then you won’t as easily give up on it.
Make Your Goal Specific A big problem that people face is falling into vague goals and resolutions. If you don’t get specific with your resolutions, then you could get bored easily and drop it. The truth is that humans are competitive, even with themselves. For example, would you be more likely to follow a vague resolution like drinking more water even if you didn’t have a set amount of water to drink every day? Or would you be more likely to stick to drinking eight cups of water per day? Not only are specific goals easier to follow and measure, but you can see your progress better. My New Year’s resolution was to read five books during 2021. By measuring it and being specific, I can follow my progress and feel more motivated each time I finish a book. Yes, I know - I’m not a reader.
Break Big Goals Into Smaller Ones I see lots of people going too big when they choose goals. For example, the goal to lose weight is vague and unspecific. Instead, choose a couple of habits that might help you lose weight. By having smaller goals, like drinking more water, exercising, and eating healthier, you can better pinpoint the specific things that you need to be doing in order to reach a bigger goal.
Write Your Goals Down Not only can writing your resolutions down help you make them more specific and make a plan, but it can also motivate you and help you keep track of your progress.
Share Your Goals With Others If you’re not very good at breaking bad habits and making new ones, then it could be helpful to tell others about your goals so that you feel more pressure to follow through. No one wants to be asked about their goal after they’ve already quit!
Set Reminders and Review Them Often I love using the reminders app on my phone, whether it’s for accomplishing goals or remembering to go to a weekly meeting. By using reminders (whether on your phone or through other methods), you’ll ensure that you won’t forget to do what you need to do. It’s also a little reward to be able to check something off your to-do list.
If You Get Off Track, Get Back On I think a lot of people fall into a long-term way of thinking. They think that if they don’t do yoga for three months straight, then they’ve failed at their goal. The truth? You can fall off track and get back on. Don’t let a slip up completely derail your goals and dreams. Shake it off and try again!

New goals are completely doable if you have a plan and do your research. Also remember your WHYS. Why are you doing this goal? Or why didn’t you follow through? Answer your own questions and just keep inching forward each day.

Much love,

Molly

P.S.- As always, me and my team would love to help you succeed if you need some extra help.