Raise your hand if you stress eat? I am right there with you-well, not as much any more..I used to be a HUGE stress eater. I would eat if I was worried.. then I would worry about gaining weight, so I would stress eat more(makes perfect sense, I know!). If I was going on a trip to visit family, I would be stressed, so I would bring some "comfort snacks" for the drive and the trip... all excuses to stress eat. I would  eat without thinking, I would eat  to give me something to do, I would eat to keep my brain and hands occupied, thinking that this would make me not notice the stress... HA joke was on me.. I would just be eating,but I would still be stressed....  I helped my mom navigate her way through   Alzheimers and I would be so stressed, so busy, so tired, that I would eat less than healthy food... pictures of me back then showed that..there was no hiding it.... I finally realized this was NOT healthy, nor was it helping. Ironically, when my mom was dying, I could not eat at all and I actually felt a bit calmer with it all.... So trust me when I say, I feel you, I see you and I get you.. but I don't want you to stay there... there is a way out!!

1. Recognize that you are eating WAY more than usual. Say it out loud. Whisper it. Write it down. Just think it  ..but recognize it.

2. Do NOT punish yourself for what you have been doing-that only makes things worse. Acknowledge what is going on right now that is  adding to you wanting/needing to stress eat. 

3. Perhaps you are  at the hospital for weeks waiting for a loved one to heal. Some people pace-you eat... Try pacing the halls or walking outside instead. You have to get the nervous energy out.  Go for a run.. Do a dance party at home before or after you  go to the hospital.

4. Journal your feelings-some of us keep our feelings inside and don't want anyone to know them. That is ok-your journal is just for you. Heck, rip the pages or shred them, but get the thoughts out of your head and onto a page. That helps keep your brain busy and your hands busy,so you can't stress eat.

5.  Don't buy junk-wow, I know, enlightening..but for real. Don't fall for your brain telling yourself,"It is ok to buy crap, just one more time or just because Mom is in the hospital." Stand up for yourself to yourself and tell your brain NOPE.

6. I like crunch. I like to snack.  Cut up carrots. Cup up cucumber.  Cut up apples. Cup up nuts. Snack on healthy stuff.  Over time, your brain will  actually start to crave the better stuff-my hubby thinks I am crazy,but I crave veggies!! It works;) 

7 . Last of all, get help.  Talk to someone , whether it is a therapist, a  religious  advisor, a friend, a spouse or heck, even a  pet. Getting some support and knowing you are not a lone goes a long way. 

Best of luck on your  stress eating journey. I am always an email away!!

I am 54 and have realized that my health goals are most definitely different than when I was younger. I will sadly admit that I have been "watching" my  weight  since as far back as HS. I have been
​"watching " it go up and down for far too long. There are so many trends and diets that come and go.. some that helped me dropped a few pounds and some that helped me lose a bunch. The issue with them all is that they are not sustainable or I finally got to a "good place", so these  plans tell me I can start to eat a little more here and there and then...BOOM, the weight is back.

I have really dug deep into the WHY I want to lose weight . OF COURSE, we all want to feel good in our own skin and be proud of how we look-I am not gonna lie about that. I love being  able to wear  what I consider "fun" clothes these last five years.  I love how I FEEL more importantly. You never know what life will throw at you as far as work, family , health, etc. I realized that feeling the best I can NOW is so important, so that when life comes out of nowhere and kicks ya in the behind, I can stand back up and brush it off.

Five years ago, I took a leap of faith and started using some  natural based supplements. I still was in charge of  making choices in my food and moving my body more-this is something very different than in the past. It was not a "quick fix". The funny thing is-I  lost 10 pounds in the first month, because I was finally taking charge of my life. I started to feel  less tired and more healthy overall. I jumped  all in  and have been selling  these products and sharing our  lifestyle plan  with  hundreds of people since. 

I have lost and kept off 60 pounds and  feel so much better. I have some new auto immune disorders that have crept in  ,but these products help me manage the extreme fatigue, so I am able  to  function.  I had to take a short break from them after my diagnosis until I could show the products to my dr to be sure they were safe with my medicine-and mannn did I feel the exhaustion  and  overall BLAH without my wonderful  coffee. You don't realize how good something is until you stop. I was so thrilled when he said they were safe and would be fine to continue!! That first sip of  brain boosting,  calming  collagen coffee was amazing!!

I have had two rounds of  the C virus and that have affected my breathing at times. My walks with the dogs are slower and shorter, but I am working my way back up. I could be mad, or I could be grateful I can walk at all with them.  I take each day with my health  and find the joy  whatever I can. I know that my  constant walking before, during and after my illnesses have  been beneficial. I know that the supplements before and after  are helping me,too. 

Whatever you choose to do, start today. Want to try supplements? Want to walk more?Want to lift weights? Want to swim? Want to eat less fried food? Want to drink more water? I  challenge you to START today- don't focus on the weight loss,but rather on getting and staying healthy. It will help  tons! Cheers to good health!!