Stress Eating! Why? And
How Do I Stop?
Money problems, kid
problems, boss problems, random problems, all add up to stress – a lot of
stress. From the time we get out of bed
in the morning until our head hits the pillow at night, we navigate our way
through a maze of stressful situations and stress-inducing people. How do
we cope? For many of us, food is the
answer. We snuggle up with a carton of
ice cream and kiss the rest of the world good-bye, for a moment anyway. Even if we know that eating a quart of ice
cream will make us miserable in the end, we still eat it, enjoy it for a
moment, then hate ourselves for indulging.
There are reasons why we
turn to food in times of stress. And
there are good alternatives to help us resist the urge.
Why do we respond to
stress by overindulging in food? One
reason is that food provides a temporary escape. Not only a mental escape (something to distract
us from the stress), but also a physical barrier between us and the people who
may be causing our stress. When we break
out an unhealthy snack, people are less likely to trouble us with work (and if
they do, they feel guilty about it). We are
practically shouting, “This is my break time, leave me alone.”
There are physiological
explanations as to why we feel calmer when we eat. Blood flows from the brain to the stomach to
aid in digestion. This results in a
sense of calm. Binging on large amounts
of carbohydrates also creates a sugar high which sometimes leads to a numb
feeling, thus taking us away from what we really feel.
When we are stressed,
cortisol is released from our adrenal gland.
Consequently, serotonin (a hormone responsible for relaxed and contented
feelings) decreases. Studies show that
those two hormones, when out of balance, cause cravings for carbohydrate rich
foods.
What do you do when
stress is causing you to crave foods that are bad for you or food in quantities
that will make you both fat and sick? “Do”
is the optimal word. You need to
physically do something. Studies show
that cravings last less than 15 minutes.
If you can distract yourself with a physical activity for 15 minutes,
your cravings will subside. Also doing
something can create the same space/barrier that eating does.
20 Things to Do Instead
of Eating
1. Try
on old clothes (some you are close to fitting in so they motivate you to eat
wisely).
2. Go
for a walk.
3. Call
or email a friend.
4. Read
a book or article.
5. Meditate
or pray.
6. Crank
up your stereo and dance.
7. Walk
up and down the stairs.
8. Write
in a journal.
9. Play
a game with your spouse or co-workers.
10. Search
the Web about something that interests you
11. Brush
your teeth, then chew minty gum.
12. Start
a scrapbook of your weight loss journey.
13. Clean
out your desk drawers.
14. Start
your holiday gift list.
15. Take
a long bath or shower.
16. Work
on a craft project.
17. Write a poem or short story.
18. Research
healthy recipes and make a shopping list.
19. Exercise.
20.
Go window shopping.
Long-term Solutions
The best way to reduce
stress-eating is to reduce the stress in your life.
1. Analyze
your stress. What are the underlying
issues that are causing your stress? How
can you bring relief? Will talking to
your boss, though stressful at the time, relieve stress in the long run? What can you let go of in life so that you
can relax? Do you need to set personal
boundaries and then notify people of those boundaries?
2. Eat
well. Low-fat, low-glycemic, low-caffeine
eating will reduce the spikes in your blood sugar that make you crave high
carbohydrate foods.
3. Exercise. Exercise helps us vent negative feelings. It boosts our “feel-good” hormones, and it
decreases our appetite.
4.
Develop relaxation techniques you can use
throughout the day. Yoga, meditation, and
simple deep breathing can each be done in very short spaces of time and will
help you gather yourself and relax.
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