DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been stress eating a lot lately. So many responsibilities are hitting me left and right that I can't help but eat junk food to get away from it all. I feel terrible because I was doing really well with exercising and monitoring what I eat.
Ever since I started eating ice cream and candy again, I've been on a roll. Ice cream and candy quickly turned into cake, cookies and milkshakes. The Smart Pop on my kitchen counter was quickly replaced with barbecue potato chips, and the amount of Haagen-Dazs in my fridge is embarrassing.
How do I get myself to revert back to how I was before? It's become harder and harder to psych myself into eating a salad when I know I have ice cream in the fridge. I don't want to become so overweight that I'm back to square one. I know I should just give up the junk food, but when I get home from a long day, a salad just doesn't excite me. -- Stress Vs. Healthiness, Brooklyn, New York
DEAR STRESS VS. HEALTHINESS: Sugar can be addictive for some people. Right now, you are engaging it in that kind of out-of-control way. Know that you can change. Start by throwing out ALL sweets in your home. If they aren't there, you cannot eat them during your vulnerable moments. If you need help making that choice, invite a friend to help you. Build a support group. Go back to the gym with a buddy. When you are feeling particularly stressed, work out instead of eating.
Make a decision that you want to be healthy, and work hard to choose water over soda, fruit or protein over ice cream and chips. Consider joining Overeaters Anonymous (oa.org) or Weight Watchers to help you meet your goals.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)