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Recognizing Stress Eating Characteristics
Do you find yourself reaching for a snack when:
- you're anxious? You're worried about what might happen,
what didn't happen, what you want to happen, what you don't
want to happen?
- you're bored? There's nothing to do and so much time
to not do it in.
- you're unhappy? Things just aren't working out the way
you want them to, and you're looking for a little comfort.
- you're tired? You're dragging and need a boost?
Or do other feelings send you straight to the cookie jar,
often without you even realizing it?
You're not alone. In fact, eating in response to emotions
is part of normal eating. It's just when emotional eating
is your primary -- or even only -- way to cope with stress
that it becomes a problem.
That's typical of people who struggle with weight. Whether
it be due to feelings of deprivation that send them to food
in times of difficulty, or something else we don't understand,
people who 'watch their weight' tend to be most susceptible
to emotional eating or stress eating. And of course, emotional
eating doesn't really take care of the stress. It just
adds to it.
Stress Eating Strategies
Consider these steps for taking charge of emotional eating
or stress eating.
- Keep a food diary of what, when and how
much you eat, and how you feel before and after. Note whether
you are hungry when you begin eating. Tip: Forget judgments.
The purpose isn't to 'control' your eating; it's to discover
it. Often we aren't aware when we eat in response to emotions
or stress.
- Plan ahead. You will likely find there
are patterns to your emotional eating or stress eating --
you've developed a habit of eating in response to certain
situations. It's time to start a new habit. Plan what you
can do differently next time. For example, for mid-afternoon
urges that have nothing to do with physical hunger, plan
a brisk walk around the building (or wherever you find yourself).
To manage feelings of loneliness, keep a list of good friends
you can call for a pick-me-up, or seek out places to volunteer
that will get you out and feeling better.
- Manage stress. Stay active with regular
physical activities such as walking, swimming, biking, skiing,
dancing, whatever you like that keeps you moving. Add regular
relaxation techniques such as mindful meditation, yoga,
Tai Chi or the like. Practice breathing -- yes, breathing.
Breathing exercises can reduce anxiety, depression, irritability,
muscle tension and fatigue.
- Eat mindfully. One of the primary principles
of mindful
eating is to eat when you are hungry, and don't eat
when you're not (at least most of the time). Check in before
you eat to see if you're physically hungry. If not, then
try something else to help you relax.
Usually, stress eating or emotional eating hurts more than
it helps. Take steps today to develop new habits that will
support your well-being.
For 37 years, Green Mountain at Fox Run has
developed and refined a life-changing program exclusively
for women seeking permanent strategies for healthy weight
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loss retreat and spa, Green Mountain combines proven
science with what works in the real world, to offer an innovative
non-diet lifestyle program. Our core weight
loss program offers an integrated curriculum of practical,
liveable techniques that helps women take charge of their
eating, their bodies and their health. Unlike health
spas or adult
weight loss camps, our approach is not focused on just
losing weight but on how to keep it off for a lifetime.
Our participants' long-term weight
loss success is among the highest of any program, as
documented in peer-reviewed scientific literature. Learn more about our women's weight loss program
©2007
Green Mountain at Fox Run, Ludlow, Vermont. This information
is the property of Green Mountain at Fox Run. Permission
to use single copies for personal, noncommercial use is
authorized. For all other purposes, please see details.
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