Tackle Stress Eating to Accomplish Your Goals

In this article:

• Stress eating can lead to weight gain and health concerns, but there are ways to reduce it.
• Discover ways to manage emotions in ways other than eating.
• Holiday stress eating, boredom eating, late-night eating, and other emotional eating can be habits, but you can replace these habits in healthier ways.
• Lark can support your goals and help you stay motivated as you make progress towards your health and weight loss goals with or without GLP-1s as you log food, get tips for eating healthier, and make small changes that can turn into healthy habits.
  

Stress eating is eating in response to emotions or other triggers instead of hunger. It can get in the way of weight loss goals and lead to unhealthy eating patterns. Being aware of your triggers for stress eating, handling emotions in healthier ways, distracting yourself, and eating mindfully can help reduce the negative effects of stress eating. You can also plan strategies for specific situations that are likely to trigger stress eating.

Stress Eating Causes and Consequences

Stress eating happens due to triggers, or causes. Stress, loneliness, anger, and confusion are examples of emotions that can be triggers. Boredom is another common trigger.

Harvard Medical School explains that your body has a physiological stress response. Increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol can increase your appetite and desire to eat. Increased appetite is different from increased hunger, or your body’s physiological need for food.

Stress eating can become a habit. It may become natural for you to turn to food when you have certain emotions or encounter triggers like smelling food, seeing food, or being in a situation that reminds you of a specific food.

Eating when your body doesn’t need food, like with stress eating, can be unhealthy. Foods people crave when they’re stressed are usually high-calorie and low-nutrient. Examples include fried foods like French fries or doughnuts, fast food like burgers or burritos, and fatty, starchy foods like mac and cheese or pizza.

Here are some possible effects of stress eating due to overeating or having a lower-nutrient diet.

• Feeling guilty or ashamed
• Having low energy
• Gaining weight
• Increasing risk of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes

Strategies to Manage Stress Eating

Here are some strategies to manage stress eating.

• Eat mindfully. Savor and notice each bite, and eat slowly
• Ask yourself why you’re eating. If you’re not hungry, it can be best not to eat
• Eat a high-nutrient diet with plenty of fiber and protein to stay full
• Address the trigger or emotion in a way that’s more productive than stress eating. For example, if you’re lonely, phone a friend
• Manage stress in ways that don’t involve eating like being physically active, practicing progressive muscle relaxation, and journaling

Cleveland Clinic suggests distracting yourself to avoid eating food you don’t need. Take a walk, go for a drive, watch a movie, read a book, or phone a friend, for example.

You can also try stall tactics like drinking a glass of ice water and eating a cup of green beans before eating the food that you’d been planning to eat. Another idea is to make healthier swaps for comfort foods. Here are more tips.

Times When Stress Eating Can Happen and Ways to Reduce It

Here are some examples of when stress eating might happen, and healthier alternatives to try. The more you can plan ahead, the better prepared you’ll be. Also, you’ll get more experience as you practice.

Work Stress and Other Deadlines

Racing deadlines and being under pressure can take your time, focus, and energy, leading to mindless snacking on processed convenience foods like chips, cookies, and sodas or sugar-sweetened coffee beverages.

Try these alternatives.

• Sipping on ice water or herbal tea
• Eliminating low-nutrient snack foods from your workspace
• Preparing or purchasing low-calorie foods like carrots and celery
• Taking breaks to move to relieve stress
• Using a stress ball

Emotionally-Charged Family and Holiday Events

Nerves over social pressures, scheduling events and parties, gifting, and planning logistics of holidays can be high. Add family dynamics and holiday foods to the mix, and the potential for stress eating can be sky-high.

Try these strategies.

• Practice saying, “No, thank you.”
• Enjoy conversations rather than focusing on food
• Remind yourself that you’re free to step outside or take a walk
• Bring healthy dishes to share so you always have an option you feel good about
• Choose a few special treats that you can savor and enjoy
• Ask for help with planning or cooking so you have less to do
• Try healthier swaps.

Loneliness, Anger, or Frustration

Negative emotions can be draining. They can leave you feeling out of control or without the energy or drive to make healthy choices. Instead, it’s common to turn to food, which is reliable in a time of turmoil. However, stress eating won’t make those feelings go away for long.

Here are some things you can do instead of eating.

• Do something you’re good at or enjoy, like drawing, cleaning, or playing a video game
• Write out possible solutions or strategies to overcome or solve a problem
• Identify why you’re mad or whom you’re angry with. Forgive them or think of a strategy to avoid them, or discuss the issue that caused a fight
• Beforehand, find a friend or family member who agrees to let you phone them when you’re feeling down

Late-Night and Boredom Eating

Late-night eating is very common. It can happen because of fatigue at the end of the day, or stress that’s keeping you awake. Some people go into the freezer for ice cream or frozen pizza, or order delivery or takeout.

Here are some tips.

• Have a list of activities to do instead of eating. Playing cards, doing puzzles, reading, drawing, and journaling are good choices.
• Phone a friend or family member that you haven’t spoken to in a while
• Start your bedtime routine. You may find yourself ready to sleep by the time you finish brushing your teeth changing into nightclothes, and doing the rest of your routine
• Get into the habit of thinking positive thoughts before bedtime. A gratitude journal can help.

Dealing with Unexpected Challenges

A sudden argument, a new assignment at work, a later-than-expected soccer practice, and other unexpected challenges can knock you out of your comfort zone and lead to poor choices like emotional eating.

Here are some strategies.

• Practice recognizing when an unexpected event is causing you stress. You might notice negative thoughts, rapid breathing, or a higher heart rate
• Practice a strategy like breathing 5 times or counting slowly to 10 before you react
• Call a friend if you can to explain your feelings and brainstorm the best next steps
• Have a drink of cold water or hot tea

If you’re feeling chronic stress or your emotions are overwhelming, it’s always best to talk to a healthcare provider for more information and ideas. Healthcare professionals can also help reduce stress eating and handling emotions in healthier ways.

How Lark Can Help

Stress eating is common, but you can reduce stress eating and its negative impacts by being aware and managing your emotions in healthier ways than eating. Lark can help you work towards your weight and health goals by making small changes. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement, nutrition and physical activity coaching, and habit tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications.

Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

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