5 tips to avoid stress eating

You're doing great. You're on the right track. You've seen some great progress already. You're excited. You're motivated. And then, BOOM! Something happens. You get bad news, an unexpected bill arrives, someone you love gets sick or dies, etc. You find yourself suddenly stressed. You can actually feel your stress level (and your blood pressure) rise. What do you do? Do you run to the kitchen and grab anything and everything in sight? Do you try to eat your feelings? We all have those moments where life slaps you upside the head and you have to choose how you proceed. Here are 5 tips to avoid stress eating, and the pounds that come with it.

1. Clean your house...NOW. I'm not talking about scrubbing toilets and washing windows, I'm talking about cleaning your cupboards and your fridge. Do it now. Don't look back. Get rid of anything and everything that's not clean eating. NO candy, NO cookies, NO soda, NO sugary yucky anything. Donate food, give it away, feed your friends and neighbors, just don't have it on hand anymore. If you have a food craving and have to actually get dressed, get in the car, go to the store, buy whatever you're craving, and then eat it, you're less likely to do it at all. I'm not saying you should never eat anything that's not 100% clean. Come on, we're human. I'm just saying you need to remove the temptations for those times when stress can and WILL get the better of you.

2. Feeling stressed? Exercise! Seriously. Get up, get out, and get some exercise. Even 5 minutes of exercise will reduce your stress level significantly. And, chances are you won't stop after just 5 minutes, so it's a win-win situation. I know you remember how much it can hurt sometimes to exercise and how it can be hard. But, I also know you remember that awesome feeling when you're done. You feel accomplished. You feel lighter. You feel more energized. You feel happier. Think of that feeling and get to work.

3. Call a friend. Talk out whatever problem you're facing. Even if it's something that can't be fixed (like the death of a loved one), talking to someone can help in so many ways. Just having someone to listen, and maybe even give you advice if needed, can drastically reduce your stress level. Doing this can avoid that desire to stuff your face with the nearest salty or sweet junk food.

4. Know your triggers. What sets you off? Is there a certain situation that frequently occurs in your life which causes you to stress eat? Maybe you have a certain time of day that the workload gets crazy, or the kids skip their nap, etc. Try to find a solution to whatever that trigger is so you can avoid the situation.

5. When all else fails, clean. Now's the time to scrub some toilets, vaccum some floors, do laundry, organize, etc. It's amazing how much cleaning you can accomplish when you're mad or stressed. And, heavy cleaning does burn some calories too. I wouldn't count it as a whole workout, but it's definitely better than sitting on the couch eating a jumbo bag of chips. And, you get to sit back and enjoy your freshly cleaned house when you're done. That is a big stress reliever in and of itself.