Some successful solutions to stress eating
- col-bobbie-randall
- December 19, 2024
- 371
While reaching for another cookie, a friend asked, “How do I deal with stress eating?” I’ve been professionally, physically and emotionally trying to answer that question for the entirety of my dietetic career.
Stress eating is probably the biggest and most common reason why people overeat. The strain of stress causes folks to feel they need to comfort themselves as soon as possible. Most of the time they do so with food. The problem is this does not relieve stress. Feelings of guilt increase stress with the added guilt of overeating.
I’ve researched this topic throughout the years and found multiple ideas for managing what is shoveled into the pie hole over the holidays. Before you read another word of this article, promise yourself you will adopt one of the ideas listed below.
It is not easy to find successful stress eating solutions because everyone suffers from different types of pressure and tension. However, there are a few tips that can help most people:
—Realize stress is not the main problem. The manner of coping with stress is the big issue. Another name for stress eating is emotional eating. A person may overeat to feel good when dealing with a negative emotion. Reducing stress is a lifelong goal. Learning to control emotions is more short-term.
—Bringing your stress to an acceptable level requires relaxation. Doing five to 10 minutes of deep breathing exercises, meditation, prayer or yoga or simply lying down with your eyes closed and letting your mind wander helps to gain control of a stressful situation. It will not eliminate stress completely, but it will help you to be much calmer and capable of dealing with your emotions and your eating habits.
—Stress eating is made of two words that come one after the other. They do not have to be linked together. They should be broken apart. Do not let the stress in your life drive you to overeat. Count to 30 or 60 whenever you feel the urge to binge on food. Breathing between small bites helps a lot too. Chew gum. It’s hard to eat with chewing gum in your mouth.
—Get out of the house and away from food temptations. Break the tie between stress and eating by taking a walk or doing some light exercise whenever you’re stressed out. Walk up and down the stairs a few times. Use the handrail. This allows more time to see stress in a different manner.
—Do not sit next to the cookie platter. Find a vegetable tray and make it your best friend. The fiber and the fluid in celery, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and cauliflower can fill up empty places in a stressful person’s persona more than fat, sugar and flour any day.
—Stress eating can eat stress right into a person’s body and psyche. ‘Tis the season to be merry and bright; gratefulness is a good substitute for stress. Thank the lucky stars and the Lord above that you have food to eat. Thank God for your family and friends. Gratitude can take the stress out of the holidays.
Thank you for your faithful reading. Just expressing appreciation has reduced my stress and avoided my own stress eating. Have a blessed holiday.
Bobbie Randall is a registered, licensed dietitian. Email her at bobbierandallrd@gmail.com.