How Stress Can Lead to Overeating

How Stress Can Lead To Overeating

Most of us start the day in stress mode, waking up to a blaring alarm clock and hurrying through the day to get to work on time, projects completed, etc.  At the end of the day, after everyone else has gone to bed, sitting on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn or a pint of ice cream seems to feel like the best way to unwind.  There are reasons for this and ways that you can resist the temptation to eat in response to stress.

The reason that feeling stressed causes us to overeat is that eating is an effective way to temporarily forget about our problems.  Food provides an escape from our stressful reality.  Eating distracts us and also feels good.  How many times have you run out of the office to grab some candy when you’re having trouble tackling a problem at work or meeting a deadline?

There are physiological reasons as to why we feel calmer when we eat.  While eating, our blood flows from the brain to the stomach to aid in digestion, providing a relaxing feeling.  Binging on large amounts of carbohydrates produces a sugar high, resulting in a numbing feeling, which can help us suppress those feelings of stress.

In addition, during stressful times, our serotonin levels decrease, which in turn causes increased cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods.  This is when you need to resist the urge to eat and find alternative ways of dealing with the stress.

So, what can you do when you feel the urge to binge?  Below are 20 different activities that you can do instead of grabbing that big bowl of popcorn or pint of ice cream.  Try doing at least 3 of these activities first and then if you still want a moderate amount of carbohydrates, give yourself a treat!

1. Read a book-or your favorite fitness magazine
2. Search for a topic of interest on the internet
3. Go for a walk
4. Call or email a friend
5. Write in a journal
6. Go window shopping or real shopping for a non-food treat
7. Play a game with a friend or family member
8. Exercise-go to a gym or pop in a workout DVD
9. Get some chores done
10.  Take a long bath or shower
11.  Make a holiday or birthday wish/gift list
12.  Do some organizing-books, CD’s, DVD’s, etc.
13.  Work in the garden or shovel snow
14.  Meditate or pray
15.  Work on a craft project
16.  Crank up some music and dance around the house
17.  Try on old clothes, whether too big or small and clean out your closets
18.  Find some healthy recipes on the internet and make a shopping list
19.  Brush your teeth, use some mouthwash and then pop in a piece of gum
20.  Put together a scrapbook of your favorite photos

For longer-term solutions, try to figure out what is causing the stress and address that problem immediately.  Talk to friends and family or even a mental health professional to get some ideas on how to solve the problems.  Feeling helpless is shown to cause stress, so focus on things that you do have control over and can make a difference in.  Try volunteering at a local hospital or delivering meals to the elderly.  Avoiding excess calories and exercising regularly are things we have control over and should focus on.

Consuming a low-fat diet and limiting alcohol and caffeine can help lower stress levels, and exercising is the best stress-buster of all!  Exercise will boost our endorphins (the feel-good hormones) and help improve our moods.  It also decreases appetite, helping us consume fewer calories.  Even a ten minute walk can reduce stress and take us away from the urge to overeat.  Finding an exercise buddy is a great way to connect with others and do great things for your body as well!

Incorporating relaxation techniques in your daily routine is a great way to combat stress long-term.  Try a yoga class, meditate, or even do some deep breathing.  Visualizing a peaceful place can be a great way to escape from reality without any damaging consequences.  Even for just a few seconds, this visualization can facilitate relaxation and cause the stress to melt away.