De-Stress in 3 Minutes or Less

Love this article, and will probably come back to it several time to read again. I learned the long and hard way that you can pretty much pick any diet blind folded and be successful if you just follow it consistently....

.....BUT...... that isn't what makes weight loss so challenging. Its the mental aspects, the emotional triggers that happen during that day. In most cases people can not remove themselves from their life in order to lose weight. So finding ways to deal with things and get perspective is so critical.

Thank you for this article! - 9/3/2016 11:27:57 AM

"Remind yourself where you are. Take a look around, noticing and naming the colors and shapes in the space around you." This is a tips I have never received before, and I think it can help. Thanks! - 4/22/2016 2:57:17 PM

As long as you cling to excuses, you'll stay fat - stop calling it an addiction.
That said:
The first step is to recognize which stressors are within your control, and which are not.
That which is in your control: change it.
That which is not: get a hobby, go to the gym, read a book, WRITE a book. Post snarky comments on the interwebz (does wonders for me), go to the gym again - lift as much as you can and play noxious screamy heavy metal until your ears bleed. (The Germans do this best.)
Above all, stop using "emoitional eating" as an excuse.You'll either endeavor to do that which must be done, or you'll stay fat. - 4/22/2016 11:57:22 AM

These tips have been around for decades, there is so much more to overeating than what these tips will solve. The experts need to admit the addiction factor!! Once and for all. But the whole weight loss industry makes millions because they want us to believe we can just say "no"!! That's a lie, but it keeps the whole industry going, and has for decades......, - 4/22/2016 7:10:46 AM

This is a lot to take in but very helpful to work on over time.

Will be very helpful.

So many un necessary mountains that don't actually exist.

Been working through the

'It's all over' just because of one small glitche.

Thanks for info. - 3/18/2016 5:12:06 PM

Stress eating is the ONE thing I have struggled with over the years. I like the advice to reconnect with yourself bc I think I do tend to unplug my rational thinking to use food to relax or destress. Just taking a moment to pause can sometimes break that automatic response. Thanks! - 2/11/2016 4:51:59 PM

Thanks! I've seen a positive effect just from reading this article. I will use these techniques in the future. - 2/4/2016 7:03:28 AM

After a little cool down walk, I like to talk it out with my husband, or sister. They often make me see things from a different point of view. - 1/19/2016 7:39:21 PM

I'm the Great Wanna-Be Fixer of other people's problems. But I don't fix my overweight problems. Time to spark myself. - 11/1/2015 12:18:52 PM

Very good article. Ironically, what's a trigger to one isn't a trigger to another.

I've learned something valuable over the years:

Knowing and doing aren't the same thing.

I can know why I do something but it doesn't stop me from doing it. For me, when I feel down, I do something that helps me feel competent - even if it's cleaning the kitchen sink so that it's sparkly.

Or I don't want to exercise. I just go for "five minutes" and once I get going, I feel better and am out for what I had planned usually.

Good stuff. - 2/2/2015 12:04:48 PM

Dean Anderson, you have just become my favorite writer of all time! :x:x that"s not only for this article, but for all of them! you are a genius and i want to put into practice every piece of advice you gave me in your articles! thank you once again and PLEASE keep writing!:-) - 1/10/2015 6:35:38 PM

Excellent advice that I have actually used. Couple of others--
1) When dealing with an emotional or angry person, listen for the content of what they are saying (remove the emotion) and respond to the content, your calm response not only prevents you from getting entangled it also makes it difficult for them to stay emotional.
2) Deactivate triggers. Generally these are caused by something in our past that we don't recognize but our emotions do. In a "mind storm" (love that term) and/or physical response, notice them and acknowledge them. Think back to what happened that triggered them. Jot it down. If you are in a quiet place, jot down the mind storm too, but as you do, more will pop into your head. Sometimes the thoughts will be painful, follow them. Acknowledge all the reactions you have they are valuable. In the end, you may get down to the root of why your emotions were triggered which once you acknowledge it you can take steps to unplug the trigger. It sometimes takes the trigger getting pulled a few times while you are working to disable it to get it fully unplugged. Each time you will notice that your emotional reaction lasts for a shorter time and less intense. - 11/19/2014 8:03:11 AM

Useful tips. I actually don't resort to eating or binging when criticized or upset. - 9/20/2014 1:50:31 PM

These are great tips and will be useful as I battle stress. Thinking back, I often make things bigger than they need to be. - 8/31/2014 1:39:42 AM

These are all great tips. If your emotional eating results in eating a few hundred extra calories in a sitting or day, then these tips are very helpful. If you find yourself bingeing and eating several hundred to thousands of extra calories in a sitting or day on a regular basis, then it is probably time to seek professional help because you may be looking at an eating disorder which is extremely serious and life-threatening. We all overeat or binge on occasion but we may need more than these tips if it is a regular habit. - 8/27/2014 2:39:38 PM