I’ve noticed a number of posts lately from bandsters who are non compliant due to stressful situations in their lives. I am very sympathetic to anyone dealing with difficult situations but not so sympathetic with those who deal by eating too much, or eating poorly. I can’t help but think it’s just an excuse to self sabotage. If you were an alcoholic, you would avoid drinking during stressful times. Otherwise, you would be back to drinking uncontrollably again. Same for us foodaholics...and yes, I'm a foodaholic. If stress makes you reach for a cookie or a taco, what makes you think you won’t eat a box of Cookies or a ton of tacos?

We must must must find better outlets for our stress. It’s bad enough when things are not going well, but to risk your success on top of that to me is just completely destructive. I’m not saying I have the answers, I just think this is a topic worth discussing.

i am bipolar. one of my issues is not being able to handle stress. i used to be a nurse, i loved a busy busy night at the hospital. the more chaotic the better, but not now. all of us can relate to having stressful lives. i can list my top 5 in seconds. and now our beloved german shepherd tore his acl tendon. my husband just got back to work after a work related injury needing back surgery. i just had gallbladder surgery monday. my mother died nov. 12 2013. and that is just the last few months. and i really really wanted to eat a complete mcdonalds on my way home from the hospital monday night. but i didn't. i really really wanted a cigarette sunday afternoon. drove me nuts. but i didn't. and i cry instead of eating. i talk to ppl instead of eating. i fix something to drink or eat that is good for me, instead of eating what i really wanted. we all made a choice when we admitted that we had no control over food and got wls. say it over and over again. i have no control when it comes to food emotionally but intelligently i can choose food good for me. i wholly believe my stress level will go down as my wt. goes down. why? i will be physically more active and able to do more things physically to keep me busy which will help me deal with stress. come spring time I am going fishing. instead of watching tv. yeah can't wait. the fish will comeserate with me.

I have to believe that all of us have talent that is being wasted. If not writing, painting, crocheting, volunteering at a local pet shelter, or what ever you think you can do. What a nice thing to do would be volunteer at the humane society as a dog walker. You are getting your stress out with the walking and making some puppy happy to be out of their kennel. I am thinking about starting my own tax preparation service. With all the soft ware out there and I have been doing taxes for people for 30 years. It can really pay well if you have enough people to use you to do taxes. Find your talent and use it to channel your stress to do something for the good of humanity. I have also thought about going back in to teaching child birth classes. Those were fun times in my life. You have to do something that will make you feel useful and appreciated.

For me it's less about stress eating, as when I am stressed I don't want to eat anything. My band cinches and I couldn't eat anything even if I tried.

My problem is the emotional salve that food used to bring me. My life is chaotic almost all the time, I have healthy boundaries to keep the chaos in check though they don't always stop the invaders I am always on the go helping this one and that one. I take in the stray's and rescue animals and do all that fun stuff. It's the disconnection that I am seeking...and that alone time. It's hard to come by, sometimes I have to hide the bathroom to read, and there is always someone banging on the door.

I used to hide away and eat myself into feeling better. Since being banded I haven't felt the need to do that but once, and I learned that lesson fast enough that this will no longer work for me.

So, now when I need to disconnect I still will lock myself away in my bedroom or my office. Sometimes I'll put on a favorite movie and watch that till I'm laughing, or I'll meditate and put on some relaxing music. When the frustration levels are equal to the need to disconnect from the world (and this where I would be driven to want to sugar and Snacks in the past) I'll head to my office where I keep all our exercise equipment and blast some tunes and do a longer work out. When the weather is nice I like to disappear to the ecology site near my house and walk the track a few times or to the beach even if it's a bit cold and walk till my spirit feels lighter. There is nothing like the vastness of the ocean to show me how small my issues really are in comparison.

If I am stuck at work, and I'm having a rough day I will put some tunes on my computer sometimes soothing sometimes a bit more moving and yeah I'll sing and thank goodness my co-workers don't mind much I won't be on the Voice or American Idol in this life time

I just can't wait till the weather here breaks....I think we are all getting cabin fever! There really is nothing like fresh air and warm breezes to make me feel great!

Everyone thinks its warm in Florida lol we have been the 30's and 40's for a while now. The most I am waiting for is to take the cover off the pool and get in it and swim for at least an hour every day. We are getting it heated so we can enjoy it more. I love hot weather. I can't wait to start planting out in my back yard. The hole side yard we are making into a garden. Fresh veggies and I am buying some fruit trees. I have a cherry tree already that is about 3 feet high I just had to wait until we bought our house to plant it. So some gardening and making my back yard my safe haven is my goal for this year. Whom ever had this house etched out some nice flower beds with brick trim. I want to fill it with beauty. So it will be my space and no one else's. Well I might let my husband go swimming now and then lol

Everyone thinks its warm in Florida lol we have been the 30's and 40's for a while now. The most I am waiting for is to take the cover off the pool and get in it and swim for at least an hour every day. We are getting it heated so we can enjoy it more. I love hot weather. I can't wait to start planting out in my back yard. The hole side yard we are making into a garden. Fresh veggies and I am buying some fruit trees. I have a cherry tree already that is about 3 feet high I just had to wait until we bought our house to plant it. So some gardening and making my back yard my safe haven is my goal for this year. Whom ever had this house etched out some nice flower beds with brick trim. I want to fill it with beauty. So it will be my space and no one else's. Well I might let my husband go swimming now and then lol

Sounds like some great plans! I think everywhere has been colder then normal this winter. I have to say though I would take those 30's and 40's over some of the really cold days we have had here of 6 and 9 and defiantly over all the ice and snow we have been having. I really have cabin fever. I'm always inside something somewhere and the cold weather hurts to breathe sometimes.

I was having a vision of your backyard oasis as I was reading your post, I can't wait for some lovely warm days where things want to grow!! I might even plant something and get my hands dirty!