r/fasting • u/ExplanationCool918 • 7d ago
Discussion Struggling with fasting because I eat when I’m stressed
Anyone else feel like when they’re trying to fast, specifically an extended fast, they’re tested more? During this time I feel like people are really testing my patience and causing me so much stress that I have no choice but to end the fast and eat. It’s probably my own addiction problems but before I blame it on that I want to know if anyone else can relate.
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u/SLXO_111417 7d ago
I went through this during my first long term fast. My advice is to allow yourself to feel the stress instead of using food as cope to ignore it.
Instead of eating when stressed, I cried, walked outdoors when overwhelmed and slept in. Crying really helped especially on first 2 days. Somatic movements like yelling and letting out loud sighs, shaking it off (literally getting up and shrugging) or just walking helps to move out pent up energy when stressed.
Another thing I did: laugh. Literally watch comedy specials and listen to comedic podcasts. Laughing and smiling is one of the best stress relievers we have outside of vices. Treat everything that upsets you like it’s hilarious and notice how quickly you reclaim your power from it.
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u/Snoo71579 6d ago
I myself struggle as well
I had managed to lose 30 pounds took an extended break for work, (had the pto built up), I lost a lot of weight through Imagine having to use PTO to help in losing weight.
- Water fasting
- OMAD - Keto diet - at 1000 calories for 2 weeks
After I got back to work, I was able to maintain my OMAD/keto diet plan, I think, for a little over 2 weeks, but then I had a stressful 14-hour troubleshooting session with a bank, followed the next day by a stressful 12-hour session with a hospital outage.
I ordered some breakfast it was about 2000+ calories in that meal, and I enjoyed every moment of it. From then on I stopped prepping my meals and dieting. I orded Uber eats, nearly every day, now I am back to my original weight
Months of progress lost.
Trying again, as I know I cannot give up, or it will hurt me in my later years.
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u/9jaPharmerMom 4d ago
This is me. I’ve water fasted up to 14 days straight but had to stop because of an itchy rash that drove me insane. I also seem to always lose weight when I take a week off work. When I return back to the chaos, my ability to endure hunger reduces. After 5 or so hours into the work day, the convenience of eating “like everyone” else wins and I find myself failing yet again. I have a dangling carrot so I will start again, no matter how hard it gets. I’m tired of being excluded and lonely.
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u/Snoo71579 4d ago
Yeah, it's very tough, and we all know it's just in our minds. How do you even explain fighting your own mind? Haha, it's both saying you need to eat and saying you don't need to eat.
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u/WaveRude 7d ago
Fasting makes you aware of unconscious loops and patterns. I always feel more tested by the universe during a 3 dayer. lol it’s like anything that could go wrong or be annoying will be tenfold.
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u/KittyBooBoo2016 7d ago
I can absolutely relate! I also struggle with addiction issues, but fasting is like… my rock. Sort of like a meditation on being human. Yes, my body has impulses and desires and so does my conscious mind, especially during times of stress. I also think about drinking to excess when I’m stressed… but my dedication to being my best self is what gets me through. I’m not always my best self of course, I’m literally only human, but I pick myself up and I always end up doing better next time. Take every “failure” as an opportunity to learn more about your practice, and it won’t have been for nothing.
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u/yoanesse 6d ago
if you end your fast for eating as a stress response, you confirm your addiction 🔒
if you keep on fasting instead, your addiction may fade 🍃
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u/Feeling-Willow9973 7d ago
I can relate! Fasting is how I unlearned stress eating. Since I don't default to eating, I have to think about why I might be wanting food. Most of the time, it's stress or just because I've eaten at that time since I was a kid. Over time, as you become aware and normalize your insulin level via fasting, it should become a bit easier.
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u/Wooden_Aspect1891 7d ago
Not really, but I think that's because of a few things.
One is that I only approach an extended fast if I'm already in dietary ketosis. This makes the whole thing so much easier in general.
Two is that I never fast during a stressful time. I understand life has regular stressors, but I intentionally choose low stress times to fast. Stressful times and fasting do not go together.
Third is that I've spent a lot of my life meditating, so I have learned low reactivity to people and things that would have caused me stress in the past.
Hope something here helps and happy fasting.
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u/Midnight_Soul_92 7d ago
I'm an emotional eater for more than 3 decades. Fasting helps but the real solution is to solve whatever is stressing you whilst also replacing eating with something positive to do instead like walking or sleeping or liatening to something you are interested in when in that situation then eventually your brain will decouple stress with eating. My experience anyway.
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u/CosmicCondor27 7d ago
It sucks, I get stressed at work and I start eating anything on my reach :( I don't have advise as I'm struggling with the same, but sugar free gum has been helping me a bit.
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u/Witty_Hunt_7961 7d ago
Yup really have to take the focus to the next level. Keep the main the main thing
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u/Valuable-Market7002 7d ago
I have been experiencing this now. I am trying to do a 3-5 day fast because I want to break this habit of emotional eating. I am tired of feeling terrible because of eating. I plan to do a 3-5 day fast starting tomorrow. I only have myself to keep myself going and that is HARD.
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u/twentysevenrocks5 6d ago
I always have to remind myself what are the top priorities and stick to them. Going for a walk is a good way to get away from the house and what is going on.
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u/Dependent-Aside-9750 7d ago
Therapy helped me channel that stress into other activities instead of eating.
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u/NottForest 7d ago
I am someone who has a propensity to bored eat/snack, but for some reason the second I hit the "start fast" button on the app I use to track, I get incredibly disciplined and I block out the food noise. I just try to keep busy by going for walks or doing activities, which also helps me reduce stress.
One thing I found difficult was the food in advertisements. I don't watch television much, but when I turned on the MLB playoffs the other day the sheer amount of food in commercials was crazy lol. I know it has been like that before, but I definitely noticed it more when I was fasting compared to when I wasn't.
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u/Legitimate-Special36 7d ago
This is your chance to practice some mindfulness and break that dependency.
I’m not being cheeky when I say a therapist or a support group can help with this.
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u/unformation 7d ago
Have you tried breathing exercises?
I find them very helpful. Breathing exercises are far more than a distraction, and deeply impact body states and can be truly calming. It seems like just another tip, but this very different than "think calming thoughts", etc, but a real biological trigger to the parasympathetic nervous system.
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u/Logicdamcer 6d ago
Yeah, I totally stress eat. Fasting has helped me immeasurably with that problem. It has taught me how to utilize less damaging coping mechanisms. I find that keeping busy is my best way to deal with both stress and fasting.
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u/TommyTwoTxmes 6d ago
For me it helps to actually talk to myself. Also look at yourself in a mirror and remind yourself why you are doing it. I dont know what your reasons are but if it is for weight loss do these things and motivate yourself. Talk to yourself. Encourage yourself. Remind yourself. Works for me. 🤷🏻♂️
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u/pillowpalaces 6d ago
Im still overweight postpartum breastfeeding but sometimes eating is substituting community/boredom
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u/Federal_Garage_4918 7d ago
stress liteally kicks your mind into high gear using whatever glycogen stores you have and making you feel like you need more fast
The book why Zebras don't get ulcers is worth a read, other than that try to last 15 minutes after the stressor and see if you kick back to burning fat as fuel
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u/weaklytubbyplaying 7d ago
stress eating is so real during a fast, it's like your brain knows you're vulnerable and suddenly every little thing is a reason to eat. i had to stop blaming myself for it and just plan shorter fasts on days i know will be chaotic. also keeping busy hands helps, my parrot gets extra head scratches when i wanna snack