The cycle of stress eating comes as we all have moments in our lives that are hard, but keto can help that stress. It may be loved one is sick or passes away. Maybe you have a boss who is making you miserable. Maybe you are out of money and rent is due. Stress happens in life.
Before keto, when we were stressed out, we turned to food as our escape. When we had a bad day, we would get take out food – the greasier and sweeter the better. If we had a bad week, we would splurge on Friday night with a junk food-paloosa of chips and dip and chocolate bars and candy.
Well, now we are following the keto lifestyle but stress still happens. So how do we cope? Here are a few ideas that work for us:
1. Keep your motivation handy!
Do a quick note or drawing about why you are following this lifestyle. Put it somewhere where you can see it when you need it most – on the fridge, in your bedroom, wherever you tend to go when you feel stressed.
2. Keep track of what you eat now more than ever.
The more you track, the more in control you will feel. That feeling of having control in your life may actually help you with your other stress. Click here to get our worksheets to help you track.
3. Journal.
Okay, this isn’t really keto related, but it helps you stay on track when you’re feeling stressed out. It can be a journal where you write about your worries. It can also be a sketch book where you draw or doodle to help you relax.
4. Be active.
Yes, this is a hard one to sell. But if you find a hobby or embrace an activity, it will help you focus on something other than your stress and food. We have turned to making small improvements on her home, so we spend weekends doing maintenance, painting, mowing and fixing. Keto gives the gift of energy, so use it and stay busy!
5. If you are absolutely in a funk and feeling depressed that you can’t have a food you want in addition to the stress you are going through, try a keto-friendly option.
You can find some of our recipes for delicious, keto-friendly desserts here or buy our dessert recipe book here. Be aware that this can go one of two ways. It may fill the void for you. It can also lead you down a slippery slope of sweet seeking. If we find ourselves going down this road too often, we do a week of strict keto where we avoid the artificial sweetener to get us back on track. Just be sure to track what you are eating if you decide to go this route.
Stress is going to happen and it affects your keto lifestyle less if you plan for it. Remember, you control food – it doesn’t control you!
Wendy
