What is stress eating
I asked people recently on Instagram what is the biggest struggle they have about their diet. Almost 60% told me stress-eating. It did not surprise me that in these uncertain times, people are feeling more stress than normal. What is stress eating? It is a form of emotional eating in which people use food to cope with emotions.
It is perfectly normal if we occasionally indulge at social celebrations, reward ourselves for a milestone achieved, or settle in for Netflix with treats in our lap. When I was slaving over my master thesis at graduate school while raising a family, I told my research advisor that all I wanted after graduation was to watch TV and eat cheesecake. I received a cheesecake gift card for my graduation from her.
Eating is comforting. But it has a negative effect on your health when it becomes your primary coping mechanism. It is important that you learn the skills to care for your health in times of stress.
Stress and Weight Gain
We are in stressful times. Working at home is difficult for many, especially those with school-aged children at home. Then there are anxieties over finances, potential food shortages, or missing our parents, just to name a few.
Different people react to stress differently.
Some people lose appetite when stressed. Some people increase appetite and overeat when feeling stressed. When some people rely on temporary comfort from eating sugary snacks to relieve stressful feelings, it can stir up guilt and shame afterward. To compensate, some people may skip lunch or dinner. Then they become overly hungry, to a point of over-eating again. We have a situation of guilt built on top of guilt. A vicious cycle.
A Finnish study found that females are three times as likely to overeat when stressed, than males.
Hormones lead to Weight Gain
The flight or fight response to danger causes our blood sugar and the insulin hormone to go up. Elevated insulin can lead to more fat storage in the body. Normally, insulin returns to normal when the danger subsides. When the stress lingers, our body releases the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol can increase appetite and lead to cravings for chocolate, cookies and bread. The combination can lead to weight gain.
How Do You Know if You are Stress Eating
It is common that people may not realize they are stress eating. See if any of these applies to you:
- You are routinely eating not to satisfy a biological hunger.
- You reach for the bags of snacks to feel better.
- The urge comes on suddenly and the satisfaction from taste is less noticeable.
- You find yourself eating more sugary snacks when feeling lonely.
- You feel powerless to stop around ice cream or bags of cookies.
What to Do
You need to arrive at a sense of wellbeing in your mind and balance in your body. This wellbeing gives you the resilience you need. In the meantime, here are a few things you can try.
Know your triggers. Is it after your children go to bed, when you are alone with the TV when the urge to eat occurs most often? Is it when you feel lonely? Is it when you think about the mortgage payment? Is it on Fridays after a long week of coaching your children over school work? Is it after your exhausting 12-hour shift?
Have an alternate way to calm yourself besides food. Exercises add health and blunt the negative effects of stress. Think about the types of activities that bring you calm and pleasure. Could it be a 5-minute walk around your neighborhood? Stand on the deck and feel the outdoor breeze on your face?
Slow down. Often, all it takes is a 1-minute distraction. Cut up an apple, or pour yourself a cup of tea. Step outside for one minute. Don’t tell yourself you can’t have the chocolate bar. It just adds to the temptation.
Make-over your pantry. Shop for fruits, granola bars, yogurt, dried dates and have them more visible in the kitchen. Make the sugary snacks less accessible.
Sleep. Chronic fatigue induces stress.
This suggestion may surprise you. Give yourself permission to eat what you crave. Eat a small portion on a small plate. A couple of squares of chocolates enjoyed slowly.
The most important thing is to address what is eating you. Address the source of the problem. Learn to fully engage with your body’s signal of hunger. A health practitioner or a registered dietitian may be helpful in working with you to develop useful and lasting skills to care for your nutritional health in times of stress.
When was the last time you coped with a stressful feeling with something other than foods? What success have you found from the experience? Love to hear from you.
