Weight Loss Challenge - the effect of stress

You may have noticed that as of this past Monday, I was below 130 pounds, for the first time in years and years. I mentioned the cupcake/cookie/brownie diet, and the fact that I'd been running around getting ready for a party. Since the hubby was out of town on business and the cleaning lady was on holiday, I had a lot of running around. If I hadn't been doing all that running around, I probably would have put on a bit more.

After the party, I got some other major stress dumped on me in the form of deadlines, despite my very best efforts to avoid them at this time. I've got the work almost done, but I've also been noticing how something like this affects my weight.

I've read that stress can make you fat. It always sounds, on first glance, as if it's the way stress affects one's metabolism that makes the fat. That may be, but I also think it's the way we cope with stress that puts on the pounds.

I don't eat more when I'm stressed. I actually tend to eat less. But -- and this is the thing that could lead to a bigger butt - I snack more and I grab what's handy. This week especially, with party leftovers, that meant cookies, cupcakes and brownies. There were plenty of leftover veggies with dip, but I more often opted for the sweet stuff because, hey, I didn't even have to take it out of the fridge! Plus, when I get this kind of work-related stress, I find it easy to think I need a reward. And for me, that means treats of the food varity and often, a cola mid-afternoon, when the energy is starting to flag. So I totally fell off the cola wagon, even having two one day.

Which means that I'm back up to 131.6 today. Now, that's not bad. In fact, that's good. But it could be better.

Next week will see my last Weight Loss Challenge blog post, with my final thoughts on the walking/treadmilling/diet journey I've been on since August 2008.

This week's step/treadmill tally:

July 17 - 13,042 steps (no walk, just party prep)
July 18 - Party! Didn't wear the pedometer, but was on my feet all day
July 19 - party clean up. Didn't wear my pedometer, but was on my feet a lot
July 20 - crash time. Didn't exercise, just recovered.
July 21 - 1 hr. on TM
July 22 - 1 hr. on TM
July 23 - 1 hr. on TM