Create A Stress Plan

To all my Dear Dieting Compatriots,

Do you have a Stress Plan to guide you when times of stress in your life threaten to wreck havoc on your diet?

Not until I sat down to write this post a few minutes ago did I realize the importance for creating a stress plan or plans to carry me through times of personal crises.

The bottom-line reality is that food has always been my comforter through the storms of life.

How unhealthy and dysfunctional is that?

A couple years before embarking on my Winner's Weightloss program, it occurred to me, perhaps by a ray of divine insight that when I felt inner turmoil, I would turn to sugar.
A friend who is a psychologist had told me that my behavior was a classic example of self-medicating oneself. In fact, he had done his dissertation on the very subject.

Interesting.

I called good ole' mom.

"Did you use to give me sugary treats when I was upset?" I asked.

"We always had cookies for you children to calm you when you were upset," she responded.

Bingo! I had found the root of my eating disorder! Momma's good intentions had created a pattern that I would battle my entire life.

After a time of aggravation with Momma, it was time to let her off the hook, forgive her for the damage she had unknowingly created. After all she was only trying to be the best mother she knew how to be. Unfortunately, she had no clue that sugar was a terrible stress solution.

With stress of varying degrees an inevitable part of the human condition, a dieter would be wise to create their own personal stress plan, maybe even a plan a, a plan b, and a plan c!

The challenge before us is to create OUR STRESS PLANS! I'm going to start formulating mine and I encourage you to do the same. I invite you to share your strategies, what works for you and what doesn't. If you have a blog or website that you author, or a favorite site of encouragement that you visit that deals with diet-related issues, please share a link with us!

I want to hear from you! To comfort and nurturing! Kathi