The
last few years were stressful ones for me. As a result, for the first
time in my life, I got into the habit of stress eating.
I'm
referring to the routine of emotional, mindless eating and snacking.
Stuffing myself with junk food, not to fill my stomach, but because I'm
bored, stressed from everyday life, overwhelmed, or exhausted.
To
make matters worse, sometimes I'm eating without paying attention to the
food or really enjoying it. Suddenly, I crave chocolate or chips or
pizza and nothing else sounds good. So, I woof it down while watching
TV, reading a book, or playing on my iPad. The need to eat isn't coming
from my stomach but from inside my head. I don't eat until I'm full but
until I'm uncomfortable.
Sometimes I start off with good
intentions and eat something healthy like veggies but I still can't get
those darn chips off my brain. Not satisfied, I eat a huge bowl of
popcorn thinking that will do the trick. I'm full, but I can't quit
thinking about those nachos I wanted in the first place. So I end up
eating the veggies, popcorn, AND the nachos. My stomach is so full and
bloated, I end up feeling downright miserable. In my twisted mind, I
convince myself I should just go for the nachos next time instead of all
those extra calories I ate before eating what I really craved. So
that's what I do.
Briefly, I feel better, but then I feel disgusted with myself.
Sound familiar?
So
what can we all do to stop stress eating and avoid the dreaded unwanted
weight gain that usually results? Here are some simple tips I plan on
using:
Identify Emotions and Triggers
Take comfort, stress eating isn't all your fault and actually has a logical reason behind it.
When
you feel stressed out, your body produces high levels of the hormone
cortisol. Cortisol increases your appetite and triggers cravings for
salty, high-carb, sweet, and high-fat foods. These foods give you a
burst of energy and pleasure by increasing the brain's feel-good
dopamine response. Over time, your brain may start to depend on these
comfort foods to calm down and feel better.
In addition, if you're
not sleeping at night because you're anxious, that only makes the
problem worse. And if your life feels unfulfilled and empty, food may
fill a void.
So, the first step is to figure out what is making
you reach for that bag of chips. Does your life feel out of control? Are
you frustrated? Overwhelmed? Mad? Anxious?
Focus on the real issues at hand and you'll be ready for the next step.
Learn to Accept Your Feelings
Often, we eat to avoid feelings that make us uncomfortable. Food is a nice distraction sometimes.
If
you're stressed out about your job or financial pressures, worried
about an upcoming event, or stewing over an argument you had with a
loved one, it's usually easier to focus on eating comfort foods instead
of dealing with the painful situation.
The emotions won't go away,
however. If you stress eat, you'll also add the burden of guilt for
sabotaging your weight loss goals. This starts a whole cycle - and not a
good one. Your emotions trigger you to overeat, you beat yourself up
for ruining your diet, you gain weight, feel even more guilty, and then
overeat again to try and make yourself feel better.
So, give
yourself permission to feel angry, fearful, anxious, guilty, or
exhausted. Invite those negative feelings in to visit and accept them
with kindness. Eventually, your body and mind will come to understand
that these feelings are okay. That you don't need to comfort yourself
with food to protect you from your own emotions.
The truth is when
you don't try and suppress negative feelings - even if they are painful
- it will help you quit obsessing over your emotions. Your feelings
will lose their power over you. You'll learn to control your anxiety and
deal with negative feelings in more constructive ways.
As a
bonus, when you listen to and accept your feelings, you'll discover what
it is you truly need and then make necessary changes in your life.
Pause for a Moment
Take
a moment to stop and reflect on why you want to eat. Tell yourself that
you'll put off eating for just five minutes. During that time, you'll
give yourself the chance to make a different choice than reaching for
that bag of chips.
Ask yourself how you're feeling. Understand
what is motivating your need to eat and think of a better way to address
those feelings. (See the section below for some ideas on positive ways
to deal with negative emotions.)
However, if you still really,
really want a bowl of ice cream, it may be better to indulge in
moderation. As I learned from my experience as related in the beginning
of this article, eating a bunch of veggies and rice cakes when you
really want some chips or chocolate won't work in the long run.
"Reach
for something you don't really want, and you're likely to eat more of
it because it isn't satisfying," explains Michelle May, MD, author of
Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. So, go ahead and indulge, but step
away from that laptop, TV, or iPad, so you can focus fully on the treat
you want to eat. Why? If you don't take a moment to enjoy everything
about it, "then the real reason you're eating it won't be served," she
says, and you'll be more likely to give in to other high-calorie
foods-not to mention more of them.
Even if you give into
temptation and eat something you shouldn't, you'll better understand why
you're turning to food for comfort. Maybe you can react differently the
next time cravings hit.
Find Alternatives
Once you
understand the cycle of stress eating and some of your triggers, find
other constructive ways to deal with your emotions.
If you're
stressed out, turn on some favorite music and dance around the house.
Take a brisk walk. Write in a journal. Do something creative like
painting or scrapbooking. Practice deep breathing until you feel calm.
Get outside and enjoy nature.
If you're feeling depressed or
lonely, call a good friend or family member, pet your dog or cat, or
look through an old photo album. If you're angry, practice the healing
art of forgiveness. If you're bored, plan your next trip or start
filling your calendar with exciting events. If you're exhausted, treat
yourself to a soothing cup of tea or a long bath with scented candles.
It
also helps to take positive steps to tackle issues that may be
bothering you. For example, if financial problems are weighing you down,
start implementing constructive strategies toward paying down debt or
saving for retirement.
Keep in mind, negative emotions don't
typically last forever. Just because you're miserable today doesn't mean
you'll be unhappy tomorrow. But in the meantime, find alternative
healthy and positive ways to deal with your emotions.
Pay Attention to What You Eat
Stay away from mindless eating and really appreciate your food.
When
shopping, think about the nutritional value of the food you're buying
and how it will make your body stronger. Try out some new healthy
recipes. When you're cooking, use all your senses to appreciate the
aroma, texture, color, and even the sounds of the food as you cook them.
And
when it's time to eat, take time to enjoy your food fully. Take small
bites, chew slowly, and appreciate all the ingredients, tastes, and
seasonings. You'll be surprised at all the flavors packed into one bite
when you do so.
Start Each Day Anew
Finally, be kind to
yourself. If you have a setback and indulge in stress eating, start over
the next day. Learn from your experience and plan on how you can
prevent it from happening again. Focus on the constructive changes
you're making in your eating habits that will improve your health.
And go ahead and indulge every once in a while. Just take the time to truly savor it.
So,
there you go. Next time, I get the urge to stress eat, I'm following
the steps I've outlined above. How about you? Join me and we can combat
stress eating together!
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