Stress eating

I worked today. And thanks to the advice of a very dear friend, I left ON TIME. Can’t wait to be done at the office. Life is so much less stressful with such a load off my shoulders!

Just after I got home, Mom called. She started talking to me about tomorrow’s dentist appointment and how she needs an OB/GYN exam and do I know any OB/GYNs in the area (ummm…no…if I did, you’d have an appointment already!)…that, layered on top of the morning’s work stress, the 5 year-old making a peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich (“I can do it MYSELF!”), Mom’s Fox News blaring in the background, the dog barking…it was all too much. I started slamming and banging things, and looked for any excuse to get off the phone.

Once I was off the phone, all I wanted to do was EAT. Inhaled a slice of cheese while I made a sandwich for lunch. Made 8 pb&j sandwiches for Big Sis’ lunches, plus one more for myself. Inhaled.

I did manage to save the chicken sandwich I’d made myself for a few hours before I demolished it.

I KNEW I was stress eating, but I couldn’t make myself stop entirely. It’s so ingrained, it’s the quickest, easiest way for me to destress. I know I should substitute a healthier behavior, but in that moment, I didn’t want to.

The good news is, I stayed away from the huge pan of chocolate chip brownies on the kitchen counter.

And when Mom called back an hour later to talk more about dentist offices and such, I let the machine get it. I know she hates when I do that, but I’d just spent an hour trying to calm down, and I knew if I answered it, I’d just get spun up again.

So I watched the Biggest Loser. And while I watched them endure a Last Chance Workout, I grabbed a pair of weights and worked out my shoulders and arms, which have been in stress-related knots for days.

It feels much better now.