High Stress and High Weight

Okay, so we all know (or should know) that there are a lot of reports, evidence, and data out there indicating that stress is directly related to weight problems.  I guess when I say that, I should say "bad stress," as there is also a lot of evidence that good stress can actually help you in your weight loss efforts.  Bad stress, in my opinion, is the kind of stress that causes your routines and regular schedule to break down because you are overwhelmed in one aspect of your life.  When your life balance gets out of whack, something generally goes.  For a lot of us, the things that go are eating right and exercise.  The trick, of course, is to figure out how to deal with bad stress without going straight to the snack drawer.

Interestingly, over the last six months of exercising, I have found that taking the time each day to workout has become such an standard practice in my life that even when stressed, I do it.  That is a wonderful thing, except for the fact that when it comes to healthy weight (or in my case, losing weight), exercise alone is not enough.  You just simply HAVE to eat right.  I think I have mentioned before that eating comprises 80 percent of your weight loss success.  So, you can exercise all you want, but without eating right too, you are going to have disappointment in the long term. 

While I can say regular exercise is a huge success for me, based on my experience the last two weeks, I cannot say the same for eating right.  For some reason, when I get really, really stressed, sugar and carbs are where I go.  Living the Life has not, ultimately, helped me to change that yet.  In the several weeks, as I get closer and closer to the "big move," from our current home in Virginia to our new home in Idaho, I have completely fallen off the wagon.  I have even started craving Coke--an old nemesis that I haven't had to wrestle with for many, many months.  Fortunately, I have not succumbed.
Anyway, the real question I have is whether it is better in times of high stress to just let go for a while (like I have been) or to buckle down and fight it out.  I have got to think that buckling down is the best thing to do, though perhaps if you are very, very careful about "letting go," a few days off may not hurt you.  The problem for me is that, at least in this case, I haven't thoughtful at all.  I have just started walking away from the lifestyle with reckless abandon, and let me say, friends, it is not a good idea.  I have got to get back on the wagon, but I'll tell you, once you fall off, it is really hard to get back on....