Stress Eating: The
Good, The Bad, and the “Oh, No You Didn’t!”
We’ve all
been there before. Staring at the bottom of an empty ice cream carton, dumping
a plate of tiny bones leftover from a whole Rotisserie chicken into the
trashcan, licking the batter out of a mixing bowl after we’ve already baked the
brownies…and eaten the entire pan. We know in our heads that it’s wrong, but in
the moment it feels so very right.
Stress eating, otherwise known as emotional
eating. We all succumb to it from time to time. Just every once in a while.
Maybe every few days or so. Well, perhaps almost every day. Okay, I need my fix
and I need it now.
Stop.
Collaborate. And Listen.
What are we
doing to ourselves? How did we let it go this far? How can we get out of this
seemingly never-ending cycle of stuffing our faces? How do we learn to curb the
appetite that is never quite satisfied?
Stress
eating (or emotional eating) is actually very common amongst caregivers. It’s
not rocket science. We are tired, exhausted, and emotionally and physically
drained. Our hearts and minds are not healthy because we haven’t taken the time
to really take care of ourselves…in a looong time. We rely on those goodies,
those tangy, salty and sweet morsels to provide that false sense of security.
We “treat ourselves” with all the wrong kinds of food…or by eating too much
food, with the hopes that it will squash the anxiety, the anger, the
sadness…and all the other negative thoughts that bring us down.
The big
question is…what fuels this desire to eat? Are you, in fact, an emotional
eater? Take a quick look at the questions below, and place a mental check mark
beside those that you feel most apply to your situation.
- Do you eat more when you’re feeling stressed?
- Do you eat when you’re not hungry or when you’re full?
- Do you eat to feel better (to calm and soothe yourself when you’re sad, mad, bored, anxious, etc.)?
- Do you reward yourself with food?
- Do you regularly eat until you’ve 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?
Who
doesn’t like to eat? I mean, personally, I LOVE to eat. Food is an integral
part of my family’s life…we just migrate towards food. We can’t help it. It’s
part of who we are, and I love it; however, I know just
how easily I can let it get out of hand when I’m stressed or feeling
overwhelmed. That jar of peanut butter starts calling my name, along with the
bag of chocolate chips. They whisper sweet nothings into my ear. How on earth
can you ignore something that good? Knowing the differences between emotional
hunger and physical hunger can help you say “nay” to that seductive calling.
Now, let’s take a look at some of those differences.
Emotional
hunger vs. Physical hunger
|
|
Emotional
hunger comes on suddenly.
|
Physical
hunger comes on gradually.
|
Emotional
hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly.
|
Physical
hunger can wait.
|
Emotional
hunger craves specific comfort foods.
|
Physical
hunger is open to options–lots of things sound good.
|
Emotional
hunger isn't satisfied with a full stomach.
|
Physical
hunger stops when you're full.
|
Emotional
eating triggers feelings of guilt, powerlessness, and shame.
|
Eating to
satisfy physical hunger doesn't make you feel bad about yourself.
|
Does any of
that sound familiar? I’ll be the first to admit that it called me out pretty
bad. Of course, I pouted for a minute or two; then, I realized that maybe…just
maybe…I needed to make some changes. Sigh.
Don’t you hate it when you’re not right?
Now that you
have a better idea of what may be fueling your desire to eat that third bowl of
cheese dip with your family-sized bag of Fritos (it’s a great combination),
what are you going to do about curbing those cravings? More than likely you’re
already feeling a little yucky on the inside and out. You need to be able to
love you for who you are…but yours emotions are winning the battle. Set a goal
today to get back on the right track, both emotionally and physically, by
following these four useful tips. And yes, I actually tried each one myself.
Four Tips to Stop Emotional Eating
Tip 1: Identify your triggers. What’s going on in your head or in
your heart? Did someone say something upsetting to you? Are your children
driving you nuts? Do you feel inadequate or overwhelmed?
Tip 2: Find other ways to feed your
feelings. Whip out
that book you’ve been meaning to read. Write down what you’re feeling in a
journal. Plant an herb garden.
Tip 3: Pause when cravings hit. When you feel that bag of Doritos
calling your name, stop in front of the pantry and think about how it’s going
to affect your overall health. Is it worth it?
Tip 4: Support yourself with healthy
lifestyle habits. Find
a walking partner. Get out of the house with the kids and the spouse for a fun
family day. Throw a ball for your dog. Start exchanging that craving with a
physical activity.
Bottom line
is….we all have our little vices and weaknesses. And that’s okay. We should
have those guilty pleasures, those little perks to get us through our most
stressful days. For me, I noticed that after giving birth to my daughter, my
pregnancy cravings were still in full swing. Thinking I deserved to treat
myself for dealing with the stress, the sleepless nights, and trying to be a
good wife to my veteran husband, I gave in to those cravings. Low and behold,
the reality check finally slapped me in the face when I realized that I was
allowing my stress, my fears of being a new mom, and the guilt of going back to
work affect my eating habits. And it was showing in our family pics. Talk about
feeling awkward.
You deserve
to feel great! So kick those negative thoughts and feelings to the curb…and
that carton of chocolate chip cookie dough. Okay, maybe not the whole carton
but at least get rid of the “big spoon”. You know which one talking about ;0
No comments:
Post a Comment