Dealing with stress

How do you guys deal with stress?

I spent the last of my money yesterday on 1/4 of the normal amount of food. I need printer ink, cat food, and more food but I'm out of money until Saturday. There is more on that list of stuff i need but i'm so stressed I can't really remember any thing else. I have a tight schedual tomorrow with only about 2 hours where I"m not doing anything. And the week doesn't seem to be getting much better. Tomorrow looks like this:

7 AM - Wake up and find something small for breakfast(trying to conserve what food I have).
8 AM - Work out
9 AM - Cool down(free time)
10 AM - Shower and get ready for class
10:45 AM- Leave for class
11: AM-4:00 PM Classes no break for lunch
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM-Finish a group physics lap thats due Tuesday at noon
6:00PM - 8:00 PM- Finish a physics assignment that is due on Tuesday
8:00 PM 11 PM- Eat my second meal of the day and probably finish other homework.
11:00 PM- Crash land into bed

I would usually try to grab a bite between 4 and 6 but I'm flat broke(I have 0.00 dollars in the bank) and I spent all my change doing laundry. I also need to start applying for another job so I can start saving for when I graduate and move.

So my stress levels are though the roof right now and i don't know what to do to de-stress. I try working out but my body can't take the punishing work outs. And despite my working out 3 days a week and killing my self with my diet I have managed to gain 6 pounds this week....I hate being an adult and facing stuff head on.

Any ideas of good de-stressing activities.

Sell things on ebay to get cash.

Do some hand washing instead of wasting money in a launderette.

If you drive, save on fuel and walk.

As long as you have at least one meal a day, i would make the cats priority.

What are you eating exactly to gain 6lb's in a week???

well the 6 lbs may be you bulking up on muscle instead? and not eating makes you store fat instead of burning it so that may also be the 6 lbs

Stress by itself can pack on the pounds for some people. I gained about 20 lbs while taking care of my mom, and I actually ate less than normal. I read somewhere that it's the "fight or flight" response in your body. Your body realizes you are stressed and starts hording the calories preparing for the fight or flight. That's great if there is an immediate danger, but long term stress throws the body into a spin.

Also, if you are eating on a tight budget, most likely you are eating a lot of carbs because they're cheap and fill you up fast. They're also the hardest to get rid of, and usually result in the famous "freshman 15". It's good that your exercising and hopefully once your body gets used to your new schedule things will even out.

Now, about the stress thing...if you find something that works, let me know! Meditation helps some people, but puts me to sleep. I normally just play mindless games on the computer for a while to unwind. Basically, do something that YOU enjoy for a little while.

If you need help coming up with food recomendations to stay within your budget let me know as I can come up with ideas for you so you won't run out of money by the end of the week.
The workouts should be a big stress reliever for you.
I'm thinking money may be really stressing you out so you need to go over your budget and look at items you can cut out that are not necessary (like cable TV).

I've been where you are. You can usually get food at homeless shelters (they rarely turn anyone away). Do you live somewhere where you can get change for cans? Also, in really desperate times you can sometimes convince small restaurants to give you peoples' leftovers. It is not so bad as it sounds. Often you can just remove the part they bit off of, and then there's finger foods.

As for stress, you might consider taking a lighter load. I also rushed through school and my mental well-being really suffered.

I'm not rushing though school, this is my 5th year and I NEED to graduate so I can go to the other school I want to go to. Transfering isn't an option because the program I want to go into is a post degree program(but still undergrad...go figure). And I get another installment of money on Saturday so I just need to make it until then its just hard to do when everything needs to be done before then. Really most of my stress comes down to poor budget management and spending on things I REALLY didn't need. I'm out about 200 bucks on things that I don't need and I really don't have that kind of money to waste, especially because its not my money. I'm living on my parents budget so to throw that kind of money away is really irresponsible.

I guess thats kind of what has me stressed, is at 23 I can still be so irresponsible with money. I am planning on getting off my parents budget in May and it scares me that I can't be responsible with money because soon it will be my own that I am wasting. Put on top of that the fact that I don't have a decent job yet and the 7 classes semester I'm facing and, yeah things are a little stressful. Not to mention I'm now single after about 11 months with someone and I have to deal with that aspect of my life.

heeeyyy you can do it and being single can be an adventure things get better for you!!

I know how it is to be crazy low on money but we have different situations since my money goes to my $900 rent :| lol nuts I know

I'm paying about 1200 in bills per month so 900 isn't that nuts. And thats just for me and Tomnus.

I am going through a similar situation. I am living with my sister who is sick and applying for disability. So i am supporting both of us at this point. I am 29 and still don't feel like an adult yet. I keep telling myself that being an adult is not in the FEELING it's in the DOING. I just have to keep making the proper decisions.

I started to sell things on Ebay for cash so I can still get my coffe in the morning and not be completely broke after paying bills.

The only constant thing is change my friend! Things will get better. Give it time. ( and make better choices with your money! )

Originally Posted by calico2222

Stress by itself can pack on the pounds for
Now, about the stress thing...if you find something that works, let me know! Meditation helps some people, but puts me to sleep.

I normally just play mindless games on the computer for a while to unwind. Basically, do something that YOU enjoy for a little while.

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Thats what I do play mind numbing games!on my computer!!!!

my $900 is just my rent I also have to buy groceries for me,bf,tiger and pepe =$300 for 2 weeks plus cable/internet/phone $150 plus bus pass for work =$70 and money other places so..thats..


$1420??

When it comes to stress caused by financial issues budgeting can be a life-saver, however it takes some work..
First of all make sure you have some food staples in your house. Things like canned soup, tuna fish, instant noodles, mac&cheese, canned vegetables, pasta, pasta sauce..Most of these items you can get on sale at weekly and combining any of them will make a filling meal..
Check around your area and see if there are any food banks, or if community meals are being offered..
Most places have community meals offered a couple times of week for low-income families or individuals.
Food Stamps.
Hand washing a few items at a time as opposed to going to the laundry mat, will save you $50 per month it's not as easy but it works..

There are tons of things you can do to save some money..

As for your schedule it was your choice to take on such a heavy work-load..so your going to have to look at the big picture and draw inspiration from that...
Keep in mind that this is your first couple of weeks doing this and it will get easier once you get more use to it..
Hang in there...

hmm bar fights help, but i would not really suggest you do that one.

more time in the gym to work the stress, get something you can kick or punch at home( i have a punching/kicking bag)

also killing things on the computer helps. So does meditation.

I'm on a very strict budget.

I take a thermos of tea with me to my back to work program, and a lunch. I don't buy anything for snacks, not even a coffee or drink of any kind. I take a bottle of tap water with me and refill it from the fountains, and on my breaks I drink my tea. A dollar here and a dollar there adds up big time.

I also don't make long distance calls.

I have my own washer and dryer, so while I don't have to pay each time I use it, it does add to my monthly electricity bill. However, before I had my own washer and dryer I used to wash the bulk of my clothing by hand in the sink and hang it up to dry one a "clothes horse" or hangers on the shower curtain rod.

So far as gaining weight is concerned while you are working out, what types of foods are you eating? Is that the only exercise you are getting and spending the rest of the time sedentary? Because working out for 1 hour three times per week doesn't really give you a license to eat what you want, when you want if you want to lose weight. Unless you are working out at really high intensity, you aren't burning that many calories during your workout.

You should be doing cardio exercises such as walking on a treadmill or a stepper every single day. Weights every other day because your muscles need a day off in between to recover.

You really need to be on a reduced calorie controlled balanced diet with a regular exercise routine if you want to lose weight.

today I've only consumed about 500 calories and I easily burned about 1200 during and after my work out. I jog/walk for about 20 minutes and then weight train 3 times a week and then I also walk to and from the gym and to and from my classes every day. I drank about 9 bottles of water, bringing it with me to class and I'm always drinking in class. I didn't really have time to eat today so I didn't until about 7 and then I only had about 6 crab rangoon and that was it. Washed it down with 3 glasses of sugar free kool-aid(o grams of sugar and 0 calories).

I wear a heart rate monitor and I had my exercise physiologist write up a work out program for me to optimize my calorie burn. Keeping my heart rate at about 140-150 I continue to burn calories for about 2 hours after working out and I don't eat for those two hours so its all stored fat that I burn. But I still have managed to gain weight but I think thats just muscle...at least thats what I hope it is. I've been ratting this way for about 2 weeks now and other than some slight hair loss due to lack of protein I'm fine. I need to get more meat into my diet again its just I don't really have that much time to eat. I've been thinking about making and drinking protein shakes but after having to live on them for 3 weeks straight I don't think I could do it again.

I do feel better after a work out but it doesn't destress me as much as it should and I really can't go any harder, I just barely walk out of the gym as is. I go hard when I work out and I go very intence with very little rest but thats how my doctors want me to do it. I just need to find another form of stress release. I used to do martial arts and I've been thinking about getting back into it, but I think I'm still a little to out of shape to do it well.

One word- Yoga - it's AWESOME for stress reduction and good for you too (lots of guys do yoga too)

A second on the protein. I learned very young that $5 doesn't buy much steak, but it can buy a LOT of beans. And, ultimately, the beans are better for you.

When you're actually spending your own money, you'd be amazed at how frugal you can be. Even the toothpaste on your toothbrush will get smaller!

Originally Posted by mrblanche

A second on the protein. I learned very young that $5 doesn't buy much steak, but it can buy a LOT of beans. And, ultimately, the beans are better for you.

When you're actually spending your own money, you'd be amazed at how frugal you can be. Even the toothpaste on your toothbrush will get smaller!

Click to expand...

Yep to both of those!

Also so far as losing weight goes. It took you years to pack on the pounds, don't expect to lose it over night, or even in a few months. I think I read in another thread of yours that you were almost 400 pounds. You are looking at a good 2 or 3 years to safely lose that weight.

So far as not eating goes, when you don't eat your body goes into starvation mode and starts to work against you so that you can't lose weight. It stores the food and hangs on to it for dear life because it doesn't know when it's going to get food again.

You need to be eating 3 square meals per day plus 2 snacks to keep up your energy level and blood sugar levels. As a man for your current weight, you should be consuming at least 1800 calories per day. Anything less is just not healthy and you will end up with liver and/or kidney problems in the long run if you don't start eating properly.

Cut back expenses in other areas. Get a room mate and share rent. Wash laundry by hand. Stop buying fast food and ready made food and start cooking your own. Do not skimp on your food.