3 powerful solutions to stop stress eating

Finding yourself staring down an empty jar of peanut butter you just finished that started out almost full and placing the blame for your actions on “stress eating,” you most likely are correct.  Stress - we all have it and it sort of makes us do crazy things at time.  One of them is to unleash stress hormones like cortisol that may drive you to seek out all the high-fat, sugary foods you’ve bought within the last two months devouring as much as you can.

A great deal of research has gone into studying stress eating since about one-fourth of Americans rate their stress level as 8 or more on a 10-point scale.  Stress eating, also known as emotional eating, is a very real thing and can be one of the reasons why some people gain weight becoming overweight or obese.

How stress affects appetite

On the one hand, stress initially can turn off the temptation to overeat.  When we first learn of bad news such a death of a loved one, our appetite is suppressed due to the release of corticotropin hormone.  At the same time, the brain also sends messages to the adrenal glands atop the kidneys to pump out the hormone epinephrine also known as adrenaline.  Epinephrine triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, revving you up while temporarily putting the brakes on eating.

But this appetite suppression doesn’t last long.  If stress persists, the adrenal gland releases cortisol which increases appetite and the motivation to eat.  Sometimes even after a stressful situation is over a person may still be experiencing stress which can keep cortisol levels elevated.

Cravings for fat and sugar

Food preferences can be influenced by stress and unfortunately we most likely won’t have a craving for carrot sticks.  When under physical or emotional stress, we seek out “comfort foods” such as brownies, cake, or that bag of cheese puffs.  Once again, high levels of the stress hormone cortisol is responsible for this action but also to blame are high insulin levels.  Even the “hunger hormone” of ghrelin may play a role. 

After you’ve caved in to this stress response by indulging in a big bowl of ice cream, there can be a feedback effect inhibiting parts of the brain that produce stress and related emotions that accompany it.  That’s why comfort foods are so good at counteracting stress – they make us feel better (temporarily) and why we seek them out when under stressful circumstances. 

But stress in and of itself is not the only reason why some people overeat.  When we are under stress, we also tend to lack sleep, exercise less, and drink more alcohol all of which contribute to weight gain. 

How to tell if you are an emotional eater

The questions you can honestly answer “yes” to, the more likely you are vulnerable to stress eating:

·      Do you eat more when you’re feeling stressed?

·      Do you eat when you are not hungry or when you are full?

·      Do you eat to feel better or to calm and soothe yourself when you feel sad, mad, bored, anxious, etc?

·      Do you reward yourself with food?

·      Do you regularly eat until you have stuffed yourself?

·      Does food make you feel safe?  Do you feel like food is a friend?

·      Do you feel powerless or out of control around food?

3 powerful steps to stop stress eating

If stress was a rare phenomenon, stress eating wouldn’t be a problem. But each day we face stress.   If stress levels are high and long-term, this can lead to an unhealthy pattern of poor food choices.

Here are 3 powerful steps to stop stress eating:

1.     Acknowledge your stress

Stress happens and it’s okay to realize having emotions is a normal, natural human response to when life doesn’t go smoothly.  But recognizing and stating out loud what exactly you are feeling can help you identify the stress – “I’m really mad or frustrated or I feel so sad, lonely or bored.”  Acknowledge you are experiencing stress and name it.

2.       Before seeking comfort ask yourself one question

When the emotional roller coaster leaves the gate and you want to rip open and devour a bag of potato chips – stop.  Ask yourself this one questions – “Am I really hungry or am I eating in response to the stress?”   Be honest with yourself because nine times out of ten, you are eating in response to the stress.  Once you answer that question honestly, move on to step three.

3.     Choose a more healthy, positive activity in response to stress

For this one, you’ll need a readymade list of other things to do besides eating when you feel frazzled.  Anything can be on the list as long as it promotes your health and well-being and gets your mind off of food.

Choose ideas you enjoy – it could be walking your dog, going on a walk, reading a book, stretching, listening to music, or calling a friend who makes you laugh and forget about the stress.  Next time you’re tempted to eat everything in sight, remind yourself you are in control and you have the power to choose a better method of dealing with stressful situations.