Thank goodness I had to have my surgery pushed back anyway! I had a very emotional past month and my weight paid the price. I need tips on how to handle stress without junk food please.

Find yourself a hobby! Something you can do now and after surgery!

Keep going Mel think long term and the reason that is going to motivate you

Lol thank you Elode, but I'm referring to the "oh my god I got 3 hours of sleep, I'm not prepared for my final in an hour I forgot to eat so here's a big can of monster and oohh look pastries!" Or the "i just had a terrible day let me eat this cookie because it will make me feel better"Type situations.

You fell off the plan...the good thing is that you can hop back on... I found this on the web. Thought I would share it.

For some people, eating is a way to cope with emotions. It can often serve as a sort of “numbing mechanism” in order to avoid feeling certain painful emotions. After bariatric surgery, this can be a painful and unhealthy coping mechanism. You should know that breaking the pattern of eating in response to stress, frustration, or sadness is possible.

Identifying the Emotion

When you experience a strong emotion that leads you to food, stop and identify the emotion you are experiencing. You may open the refrigerator and realize that you feel sad or angry rather than hungry.

Ask for Help When You Need It

Breaking the connection between emotions and food can be difficult. If you feel overwhelmed or out of control, attend a support group meeting or contact your bariatric program’s mental health professional. These two resources can help you identify what’s causing the emotion and provide you with strategies and alternatives to eating.

I agree with the above statements when your stress try drinking some water and walking exercise has become my stress release and I work out 5 days a week you can do this .

@Mel13. Yes, I have been there several times in my lifetime and no, it's not as simple as getting a hobby. You are dealing with day to day minute by minute stressful and emotional situations. Try keep the right foods handy wnd available to you. Take a few minutes every night or every few nights and get stuff ready in containers or baggies. I pretty much live on the road with my job and refuse to be without food from home. I will not stop for fast food, no matter how healthy the options maybe. So, think string cheese, hard boiled eggs, small amounts of nuts, skim milk and unflavored protein powder, grill chicken, ham, half of an apple..... see where I'm going with this? Always have water with you. I don't eat jerky, because of the salt content, but lots of people swear by it. Just try to always be prepared to have a healthy option. Don't give up. Best.

I actually go to the gym now on a regular basis. I can feel the anxiety leaving me three to four minutes into my workout. I am becoming very aware of how I am reacting to stress. I walk out of the gym stress free, but will notice as the day goes on, I can feel it returning. At that point, a nice glass of wine helps.......WINK, WINK !!!!!

YESSS! ME TOO!

Hi Mel. It sounds like you don't actually have a plan and that's likely much of the problem. Some of the suggestions by other posters are terrific and you should try to follow some or all of them. For now, you should always be prepared with healthy choices. Why you reach for food when you have emotional issues is something that probably means therapy or at least a support group to figure out why you have these behaviors.

I'm banded nearly two years and am both in therapy and always planning my food and food choices so I don't sabotage all the good work I've put in so far.

Sometimes we cause our own stress, sometimes we can't avoid it - life happens. It is a good idea to figure out the difference between the two, and make some life decisions to set ourselves up for success. You can't keep doing things the way you have been, or you are going to keep getting the same results. Something has to change.

So, if you are not prepared for an exam, what can you do in the future to not cause that stress for yourself? You forgot to eat - what could you have done differently? Focus on those things, and use some of the suggestions above.

As for stress you can't control, this is where is becomes necessary to employ some other techniques. And, yes, hobbies might be the answer. Exercise might do it for you. Maybe distraction, or meditation would work. This has been and remains the most difficult for me. Years of eating when stressed is a hard habit to break, and is still the first thing I think of when I'm stressed. Sometimes I give in, but mostly I don't. I will usually drink something like a flavored coffee, and distract myself with something else. It's surprising how often that works!

I can totally relate to this @Mel13. Stress and "busyness" is a trigger for me, too (probably for many of us). I haven't had WLS yet, but I'm starting to try and get into some good habits. I've even gone so far as to identify my "Trigger Time" which is right after school. The problem is what to do about it.

I like the suggestion of having healthy stuff at hand and not leaving home without it. That way you're not even faced with the option of stopping anywhere for something unhealthy.

You can do this! We can do this!

Thank goodness I had to have my surgery pushed back anyway! I had a very emotional past month and my weight paid the price. I need tips on how to handle stress without junk food please.

Plan for it. We will always have stress or unplanned events. Stock up on Protein bars, single servings of nut & cheese. Premade Protein shakes and yogurt cups. My favorite go to is to boil half a dozen eggs on Sunday. If I am rushing, I grab an egg, an orange, a Protein Bar and a bottle of Water & go.