exam stress

[babyprrr]

I stress eat... a LOT. Before NoS, I used to be a massive binge eater whenever I had a bad day/big exam coming up..etc. I normally gain 5/6 pounds during finals period.

Now that I'm NoS, I hope I'll be able to prevent the weight gain this year. My exams are in a few weeks and I'm soo stressed out about everything. This past week, I've been getting urges to binge nearly everyday. So far, I've managed to keep to the three rules, but my three meals are getting bigger and unhealthier ( french fries for lunch, etc), and I'm quite sure I'm going to break my resolve soon, and have a chocolate binge or something. I keep thinking about food when I'm studying and this little voice in my head keeps telling me.." u've read xxx pages, u deserve that treat!"

Also on a side note, my usual binge food is cereal. I love eating cereal right out of the box, and have finished a box in one sitting pre-NoS days. My cereal urges usually come about late evening/after dinner time and I have to tell myself that i can have it the next morning for breakfast. But the thing is I'm never usually hungry when I wake up, and could do with just a cup of tea and some fruit. So my question is...shall I forgo breakfast for a bowl of cereal in the evenings? Or will this set me up for binging behaviour?

Sorry that was a long post! I'm glad to have gotten it off my chest though. Been thinking about food all morning!

[London Mum]

Stress eating is a problem. I know when I am really stressed I find myself opening the fridge even without noticing.

Rather than skip breakfast altogether could you have the cereal a bit later? I have been walking my daughter to school the last 2 weeks (hour round trip) and usually have breakfast when I get back, and can really enjoy it, before I start work. I've found this has really helped with No-S as I then put back lunch to 1/2 and it is easier to resist the 5pm munchies. I work from home so it works for me.

LM

[cvmom]

Stress-Eating is my issue too. I can remember vividly when I would stress eat before exams.

I watch my son with his hand in the cereal box too, when he studies. There is something about eating that pacifies the stress or delays the inevititable (ie. I have to deal with the issue in front of me).

Do you remember what the NoS book says about binge eating? It says that it's a "self-hate crime". That really stuck with me for a lot of reasons.

So, Babyprr, see how you can do with cups of tea, or coffee while you study. Warm drinks can be soothing. If you do stick to the rules you won't gain weight this year.

Londonmum - I too like to eat breakfast after everyone leaves the house for the morning. It's peaceful!

D

[NoelFigart]

" u've read xxx pages, u deserve that treat!"(

Can you think of non-food treats?

There's nothing wrong with rewarding yourself. I reward myself for a good session in the gym with a soak in the hot tub there or a nice sauna.

I reward myself for meeting my word count (I write) with knitting time or goof around on forum time. *grin*.

I reward myself for getting the house clean with a nice manicure, a cup of really GOOD tea and wearing an elegant kimono.

What do you like to do that isn't food that you could save as a reward?

[phano]

Hi, BabyPrr

I'm in school, too, and I struggle with eating while studying, too. I've noticed a couple of things: one is that I use eating as a short hand for a break. What I really need after reading xx pages or whatever is to get up, stretch, take a little walk or make a cup of tea or coffee (and for this to work, I have to have several different teas on hand). I think I have a fear of those things taking too long, which means I gobble a bowl of cereal or something, because there is a clear end to that kind of break. The thing is, I'm not really refreshed after eating, so I don't study effectively. So I've decided that I'm going to just go ahead and get up and stretch and take the walk, because I will sit down ready to focus, even if it does mean that my breaks are more like 20-30 minutes, instead of 5.

The other thing I've noticed is that the later I stay up, the hungrier I get and the less focused I am on my studying. Staying up til 2 or 3 almost never means I get an extra 2-3 hours studying in. It means I get a shoddy hour or so, spread out over 2-3, with a ton of snacks. I've just had to make myself go to bed around midnight and get up earlier. Even though I'm tired in the morning, I get better work done at 6 am than 2 am.

Finally, about the stress itself. It's helped me to make a firm plan of what I'm going to do and when. This way, I'm not worried about one class while studying for another. I know when I'm going to study for each class.

Not that this works all the time--I still get super stressed out and eat like an idiot. But a lot less.

Best of luck with exams!

[chiquitabanana]

When you are a binge eater such as ourselves we have certain trigger foods. I am a sufferer of BED binge eating disorder since the age of 13 and i find that cereal, granola bars, chocolate and chips are some of my trigger foods. Cereal is by far the worst i could never have one bowl if i was binging. I had cereal this morning but i served myself a good amount witn milk, banana and i added almonds to it because it works well to balance out my bloodsugar and i had no problems today. I guess it was the fact that it was what i really wanted to eat and i had a good serving of it , I did not measure as i usually would of i just poured as much as i wanted into my bowl.I think that the actual act of measuring something in a measuring cup or counting points for something or counting the calories for something sends me into binge mode. I have made a promise to myself that i will no longer weigh, measure, count calories or points ever again. I am so done with that part of my life. I hope that this helps you somehow. I also think that if you want to have cereal for dinner have it but make sure that it is a hearty cereal (i had Kashi go lean crunch) and you serve yourself a good amount and put some fruit and nuts in it, you could also make yourself some eggs or turkey or veggie sausage to go with it and a nice glass of 100% juice.