Actually, I'll make my list right here:

1. Meditate. That's first on my list.

2. Go for a walk. That clears my head, and gets me out of the house, where the food is! I have to not bring my wallet with me, though, sometimes, when I walk, or a walk turns into a trip to the store for food.

3. Lay on the floor and listen to music. My Dad used to do this, when I was a kid. He loves music, and I think it's hard for him to understand how people can listen to music without their full attention! When he listens, he gives it all his attention. I love music, and I love that all I have to do is lay on the floor and listen to it. I find it soothing.

Well, I'm going to leave my list at three things for now, otherwise I make a long list, and, it's so long, I can't remember what I put on it!

The only thing is...what if I want to binge when I'm at a restaurant, etc.?? I can't very well lay down on the floor and listen to music, at, say McDonalds. And how can I go for a walk?? The only thing I can think of us ducking into the ladies washroom for a minute, and doing a kind of mini-meditation in the bathroom stall..

Music is great, and overeaters anonymous meetings online and face-to-face are helping. But it's hard, each day is a struggle. Good luck!

Thanks! Yes, every day is a struggle...I'm starting again, tomorrow.

I think you hit it right on the head. Thanks for your suggestions.

Something that helped me in the past was crocheting. I started a project, an easy little blanket, and i learned to crochet. I couldn't eat when i was crocheting because not only were my hands too busy, and i would get my blanket all schmutzy, but crocheting was also very calming, so i didn't even really feel the cravings or desire to binge. I ended up losing 25 pounds by the time that blanket was done (needless to say i worked slowly). Why i didn't start another blanket since then, I don't know .. I think i'll do that again.

What a great idea! I used to crochet, ages and ages ago...I think I only ever learned one, basic stitch, though, and all I ever made was scares and toques. :-)

I can totally see how keeping your hands busy would help! Actually, I've heard of smokers quitting smoking, just by keeping their hands busy, so they have something to fiddle with, instead of a cigarette. They even make these fake cigarettes for that purpose.

I am so broke right now, I don't think I have the money for hooks or yarn....but maybe I can find the money. Or I can find something else to do with my hands. I'm sure there's lots of crafts that could keep a person busy.

Thanks for the idea!

Dear GonnaMakeIt,
Excellent and helpful,,, am not ready to move out of my ccomfort zone... Chatting on line,,, keeps my hands busy.... walking and pretending that am swimming at pool..... Love myself a little would help too..... reading on line ..... allowing myself one MCD takeaway aweek and one night of alcohol .... dream of that goal.
Excellent post ... thank you .... Friends in DS, michelle xxx

Hi!
I know what you mean, I have been thinking of better ways to cope with stress than eating. I too, find going for a walk and listening to music relaxing. But I usually fall back on food because it is such a quick and easy fix. Just open the fridge and get chewing. I am a stay-at -home mum and there are times during the day, when both my boy (10 months) and my girl (2 years) just won't stop whinging and wanting something they are not allowed to have or not wanting to do something (like getting dressed to go out). And I feel trapped, my head starts hurting and somehow grabbing something out the fridge seems to give me an instant relief. But I pay for that later on during the day when I feel bloated and heavy and disappointed for letting myself down again.

Sorry GonnaMakeit, you started a very poisitve thread and I managed to have a moan...

All I want to say, is that although there are many other healthier ways to deal with stress, they require getting used to and planning. I think that if I planned ahead to go for a walk with them or to do meditation probably while my kids have their lunch nap, then I could relax myself in preparation for the stress that inevitably kreeps up during the day. If I leave going for a walk to when the stress hits, then chances are that going for a walk will, in my case, become stressful in itself. I need to get myself ready, kids ready, change their nappies, make a drink for them to take along, and fight them when they dont want to put their shoes on... by the time we are ready I am so flustered and fed up!. I should plan the 'excursion' into my daily routine and get us all dressed before the stress hits and keep positive.

I shall try and do that. xx

Oh I think I know what you mean! I worked as a nanny for years and years and years....it was so hard sometimes. And the people I nannied for always had such yummy food around and told me to help myself. I'd be tired, exhaused, the kids screaming or the baby sick or...something, and I'd end up eating crap, and it didn't help that the kids were always having treats that they wanted to share with me! Sweet of them, but, stilll..... :-)

I have been going for a walk every evening....and I've just discovered something that helps me. My problem is that, by time the day is over, and I have time for a walk, it's night and dark. And there are not a lot of places I want to walk at night, as it doesn't feel safe. The only major street near to me leads to a huge, open until midnight drugstore, full of food.

The problem is that I try to walk about 45 minutes per night. As it turns out, walking to the drugstore and back is 45 minutes!

I'm sure you can see where this leads.

I know, I should walk somewhere else. But I really can't. All the other streets by my apartment are dark or badly lit side-streets, and I've had bad experiences, and am not going to walk on those little side streets in the dark.

So I've found a solution. I stopped bringing my purse with me. Just my keys. No purse means no money, which means no stops at the drugstore for candy, junk food, chips and pop.

I hope you start being able to go for walks! I know how hard it is, with kids. I used to try to take the kids for walks, for exersice, when I was a nanny, and I had all the same problems as you. In the winter, where I live, it's a nightmare trying to get them into all their boots, coats, mitts, etc. Don't get me wrong - I love kids, but it seems like as soon as I got one of them dressed, the other one had undressed himself or peed his pants or something. It's always something. :-)

Thank you so much for posting this. I was thinking about this today. I know it's my coping tool for stress, anxiety and depression but I've been stumped as to what to replace it with. I realize that it needs to be replaced, because you can't just stop it without something to take its place. I love the music idea. Lol about McDonalds though. That would be hard to explain. Those of you that mentioned crocheting - that reminded me of making jewelry as a kid and drawing with charcoal as an adult. i don't do either right now but I'm thinking it might be a good idea to start doing one or the other again. Thank you so much, really. You literally answered a question that's been haunting me for I don't know how long.

I try to either brush my teeth, which INsTANTLY turns me off of food! (and keeps my teeth healthy) or have a piece of gum. I also paint my nails (another "keeping your hands busy" solution. Or if I want to eat I drink a biiiig glass of water to fill me up! I look forward to allthe suggestions!

Aw, I'm so glad that was helpful!

I've recently fallen back off the wagon, for about the 10 billionth time, but I'll get back on track again. I'm so tried, I mean REALLY tired of feeling overweight! I'm SO self-conscious of it. I feel like everyone is looking at me and remembering how I used to be so thin...of course I'm sure that's not true at all, because they have much better things to think of then me! But, still, I do feel very self-conscious.

And the solution to that is to DO something about it!

I really still love, love, love the chrocheting idea....it's just that I have absolutley no money, so I'm not sure how afford the yarn. For some reason, yarn seems really expensive! Painting my nails is a good idea, and I already have nail polish! And it's affordable, too.

Maybe I will keep an eye out for yarns on sale....I'm sure that just trying to learn to crochet again would totally distract me.

Oh, and herbal teas often work for me. No calories, but something I can sip on, slowly.

I've looked at pictures of a lot of friends I haven't seen in a while on facebook and some were skinny as hell 10 years ago. Now they have pot bellies. Kinda makes me feel better lol. As for not affording the hobby, I've thought that too but I spend so much damned money on food that picking up drawing again would probably less expensive.

Oh, that's such a good point about the friends on facebook!

I've often wondered if I'm being unrealistic about my weight loss. I mean, I DO need to loose some weight, I am overweight, but I wonder if I need to understand that it is not realistic to expect to be the very thin 23 year old I once was.

I mean, we just are thinner when we're younger. I'm 34 now. Not 23. I was so thin back then, and it was efforless!!!

I've been thinking that, yes, I need to lose weight, because I am overweight now, but maybe I should be realistic about it, and understand that I will not be as skinny as I was at 23.

The point about yarn and the cost of food is a great point. Thanks. I'm sure I'm the same way - I'll spend all my extra money on chocolate that I don't need. Why not give that up, and spend the money on yarn??!?!