Is Stress Eating Eating You?

Ask anyone, and they will probably admit that they have engaged in stress eating at least once. Some of us stress eat more than we want to admit, especially when life feels out of control.

For example, you have a major deadline at work for a project that has been more than a little challenging. If you do not meet the deadline, you might lose the client’s account, and your boss will be angry. As a result, you could lose your job.

As you try to work longer hours, putting in the work, you find yourself munching on everything in sight. You might eat a bag of chips, a pint of ice cream, and a cup of chocolate candies. Then, you convince yourself that you do not have time to stop and eat a real meal. You tell yourself, “I need caffeine, carbs, and sugar to power my way through this. I feel calmer eating these favorite foods while I finish the job.”

But the truth is that we are training our brains to reward us with the consumption of high fat, high sodium, and simple carbs. Our brains produce feel-good chemicals that dump their contents, leaving us happy and relaxed.

But what is the cost of stress eating, and how can you stop the behavior?

Recognize your emotions and triggers

What sets you off stress eating? Is it an intrusive memory? Is your trigger receiving bills in the mail? Or do you eat in response to an emotion you want to avoid?

There may be something in your life that makes you sad, angry, bitter, or remorseful – all emotions we try to avoid actively. Instead of confronting these feelings and their cause, we push them down deep and use food as a coping mechanism.

But this behavior can only go so far before it catches up with you. The following is a list of common ailments and conditions associated with stress eating:

• Digestive problems, heartburn, and acid reflux.
• Sleep issues.
• Weight gain.
• Dehydration
• High blood pressure.
• Fast heart rate.
• Edema.
• Chronic inflammation.
• High cholesterol.
• Heart disease.
• Type II diabetes.
• Obesity.
• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Hair, skin, and nail issues.
• Disordered eating, including bingeing or purging.

If these symptoms or conditions sound familiar, contact a counselor specializing in eating disorders. Your counselor can assist you in pinpointing where the behavior stems and teach you healthy coping skills.

Write about it.

Writing out your thoughts and emotions may sound tedious. However, studies show that journaling what you eat and how you feel can help you avoid stress eating. Mood journals are a safe place to record your deepest thoughts and help you process them.

For example, maybe you eat due to stress every day at 3:00 p.m. When you examine this behavior in your journal, you may notice that this is the time that your boss tends to visit everyone’s cubicles and check in on their work. Perhaps you feel micromanaged, so you eat the office snacks instead of mentioning this to your boss.

Mood journals do not need to be expensive. Choose a notebook small enough to carry with you and record your thoughts and emotions and whether those affect your food choices. Some people prefer an app on their phone, but you may find it more challenging to take the time to get to the bottom of your behavior without putting pen to paper. Try it for one week and see what you learn.

Get counseling for stress eating.

Once you have a general idea of your triggers for stress eating, figure out what you can do to manage or breakthrough. This may require professional counseling. A counselor can help you through past trauma or hurts that are affecting your daily life. Counselors are also well-trained in communication, anger management, coping skills, and conflict resolution. In addition, you will learn techniques you can repeatedly apply to other areas of your life.

Depending on your situation, your counselor might recommend talk therapy, a common and effective method still used today. You may choose one-on-one sessions with the counselor, group therapy, or family sessions. Each format has its benefits and depends on your unique situation as to which one will work for you. You may wish to try a combination of all three.

Find support.

Finding support for stress eating may be closer than you realize. Pay attention to those closest to you. There may be another coworker or two in the office with the same issues. You might have a close friend or family member who has struggled with stress eating. Just make sure that the people you choose for support are not enablers. You need someone who can listen compassionately and provide helpful suggestions, not criticism or judgments.

You can also check in your community for local groups or organizations that meet that address eating issues and eating disorders. Your doctor may have insight into local groups or contact a counseling center that offers group therapy.

De-stress.

It may sound cliché to ask you to de-stress to manage stress eating. However, how often do you take time out for yourself? Is the answer that you do not have time? Keeping a sleep routine and caring for your mind, body, and spirit go a long way in how you view yourself and honor your body.

Your willpower and determination wane when you are tired or burned out from overwhelming responsibilities. Your resolve to not stress eat may have been strong when you woke up this morning, but now it is 7:00 p.m., everyone is clamoring for dinner, the dog needs to be walked, and your son’s teacher sent home a scathing note. Will you shrug and then board yourself up in the pantry for the rest of the evening?

Yet, self-care is the perfect antidote for stress. Do a few small tasks weekly that will help you relax. Better yet, take yourself out on an excursion. If you like to fish, spend a few hours once a week at your favorite place. Take yourself out on a date one day, weekly or monthly, to enjoy a concert or movie, walk around a mall window shopping, or indulge in your favorite non-food-related hobby.

See a nutritionist about stress eating.

Sometimes we stress eat because our diets are lacking in nutrition. If you eat processed food, fast food, or sugary foods, your body may be crying out for nutritious items. If you keep a food and mood journal, note the types of food you eat.

Do you consistently eat complex carbohydrates, lean protein, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables? Do you take any supplements recommended by your physician? How do you feel after you eat unhealthy fare? Can you concentrate, or is your mind all over the place? Do you drink water?

A nutritionist can get you started on choosing healthier foods. You can still treat yourself but allow your treats to equal a smaller portion of your overall consumption, perhaps 10% to 20%.

Exercise.

Starting your day with some form of exercise can trigger the release of those feel-good hormones you experience when you stress eat. Instead of relying on those blood sugar spikes from snacks to get through the day’s stress, start earlier with a healthier alternative. When you work out in the morning, the endorphins released stay with you all day and may even curb your appetite.

After a good workout session, you may walk more confidently and stand taller. This is an after-effect of exercise. Choose activities you enjoy and are more likely to stick with consistently. To fight boredom, mix up your selection. For example, if you work out four mornings a week, you could schedule a different workout daily, like walking, dancing, weight training, and Pilates for the week.

Reach out for help with stress eating.

Stress eating can become a compulsive behavior leading to binge eating or bulimia. When you feel out of control of your eating habits or notice a decline in your physical and mental health, reach out for help. A Christian counselor at Texas Christian Counseling can teach you new techniques to manage stress and move past the obstacles at the root of the behavior.

Do not wait until stress eating has a firmer grip on your mind and body. Contact Texas Christian Counseling today.