De-Stress Without Dessert

"STRESSED" is "DESSERTS" spelled backwards, and it's no surprise. Stress eating is a major problem for a lot of people, and it's a hard one to swallow: If you're a stress eater, you probably know it. You're just not sure what to do about it.

In fact, worrying about it is kind of stressing you out, right? Don't worry. We can help.

Stress Right
You've probably heard your Leader or other meetings members talking about Reframing, a powerful tool from Weight Watchers Tools For Living. It's the perfect way to rework the way you react to stress.

Eating in response to an emotion is a behavior that can be changed. And when you want to change a behavior, you can. Just remember that you've been keeping that responsive behavior — eating — because you don't want to give up what you get from it.

It's not the food you're after, it's the stress relief: Eating when you're stressed out helps you calm down. The trick, then? Think about some non-food ways you can let go of the tension and frustration of stress. Then use the steps of Reframing to try them. Maybe you could:

• Go for a walk.
  
• Call a friend.
  
• Work on a craft project.
  
• Take a bath.
  
• Write out a healthy grocery list.
  
• Get out into your garden.

Remember, stress is everywhere. And overeating to respond to it only makes it worse. It's worth it to come up with healthier ways to cope.

At your next meeting, ask the friends around you about the healthy ways they react to stress. And click "Next" for more about how you can, too. You'll read:

• 7 Ways To Stop Stress Now
  
  
• How To Get Through Your Hardest Time of Day
  
  
• Are You Stressed Out?
  
  
• Meditation and Weight Loss

Make It to a Meeting Did you know that people who lose weight with the support of a group have better success than those who go it alone? So get the support you need this week! Visit the Meeting Finder to check times and locations.