Well, this is a pretty straightforward one, huh? Stress is a normal trigger for so many people and boy oh boy is it ever one for me! The deeper issue becomes the cycle that it brings on. When I’m stressed out I tend to eat whatever is most convenient or sounds the most “comforting.” When I reach for something convenient 9 times out of 10 I don’t do my normal weighing and measuring and THAT in and of itself creates MORE stress. I’m at a stage in my journey where I’m pretty good at guesstimating but during these times it can be downright dangerous. Without a plan and without being able to accurately measure/count what I’m actually eating I wind up with two consequences: 1. It affects me physically (too many calories = extra weight) and 2) It affects me mentally (lack of control leaves me more stressed out than ever!). Gee, that kinda triggers a vicious cycle doesn’t it?

In writing to my sponsor today it hit me how much calmer I was feeling. I had sent her a few “I’m scared” emails just earlier this week and they were coming from a place of stress. I hadn’t been able to really count what I was eating and that alone was stressing me out. This especially trips me up with things like a casserole or spaghetti, etc… Even though I know how many servings of pasta or ounces of meat go in to the dish it’s still unnerving to not be certain. That may sound a bit extreme but having that element of control is important to me. I felt calmer because I’ve been back in my routine of planning and measuring/weighing my food.

Sooooooooo to smooth out this wrinkle I know what I need to do: plan, measure and track with accuracy. Doing that keeps me calm which decreases my stress which helps me not fall into patterns of negative self-talk and doubt. As the slogan goes “Keep calm and carry on!”