Wondering how to stop stress eating?

Have you been finding ways to stop stress eating after a regretful binge-eating session? When you feel the worst inside is when you resort to outside sources for relief. And nothing can be more fulfilling than indulging in some good food.

Most people experience emotional eating at some point or the other in their life. Be it opening a big bag of chips when bored or consuming your favourite chocolate bar after a tiring day at work. While it is alright to have good food that satisfies your heart once in a while, the problem arises when you do it in excess.

Eating should not turn out to be the main way to overcome hard emotions. If that is the case, then your direct resort to food would gradually start affecting your life, health, happiness and weight as well.

Let us tell you some good news. It is possible to stop stress eating and regain control over your eating habits. If you are still binge-eating and looking for ways to cut down on stress-binging, then this article is your respite.

What Triggers Stress-Eating?

Certain behaviours would lead you to eat more. Identifying those is half the battle won to stop stress eating. You might have known very well that stress makes you eat uncontrollably, but there are other aspects as well that you are not aware of. We have listed them out for you down below to get you one step closer on how to stop stress eating. Let us get to them.

1. Boredom

People are used to an active and fast-paced life nowadays. So, the moment they do not have much to do or are bored, they resort to indulging in food to fill the void. Boredom has thus become a common emotional eating trigger in today’s life.

 2. Habits

People often do certain things, usually because of nostalgia or something they have been doing as children. Be it having an ice-cream or baking something out of joy after any kinds of life’s triumphs.

3. Fatigue

It is easy for people to eat mindlessly or overeat when they experience fatigue. Especially when one has something that is not pleasant to look forward to, he/she resorts to food to get instant relief.

4. Social influences

Often, out of the influence of peers, we tend to do things that we wouldn’t normally do. It can be as small as eating pizza after a night out or going out for dinner or drinks after a hard day at work as a reward. But, when it is done frequently, it negatively affects your body.

Once you identify the triggers, you must maintain a few steps to not give into them again. When you do that, overcoming stress eating is a cakewalk. In no time, you would handle stress with ease without trying to find comfort in food. With no further ado, let us look into them.

How to stop stress eating after you identify the triggers?

Instead of feeling powerless when the triggers struck you, it is time to regain control and take the necessary steps. And what are those steps you ask? Here are some pointers on how to stop stress eating:

1. Maintain a food diary

Start noting down everything you eat, when you eat, how much you eat, how you feel whenever you eat, and how hungry you are. When you do that, you would be slowly identifying patterns revealing the connection between mood and food.

 2.   Manage your stress

Since stress is the major culprit in stress eating, opt for stress-management techniques like yoga, deep breathing, or meditation to deal with stress.

 3.   Reach out for support

Having a good support system in vulnerable times helps you face the problem with courage. Reach out to your family or friends or join a support group when you feel the need to stress eat.

 4.   Overcome boredom

Whenever you get bored and are not hungry, instead of reaching out for snacks, inculcate healthier behaviour like taking a walk, dancing or reaching out to a friend.

 5.   Opt for healthy snacks

If you ever feel like having something, choose healthy foods like fresh fruit, nuts, popcorn, or vegetables. You can even find a way to make your favourite foods healthier, such as trying out their lower-calorie versions.

  6.   Never deprive yourself

We usually limit our calories intake too much when on a diet. They repeatedly eat the same food without indulging in any treats. This would result in increased food cravings as a response to your emotions. Thus, to avoid that, eat good amounts of healthy food along with occasional treats.

When you remember the above pointers every time you fall into the zone of wanting to have food for comfort, it is quite simple to eliminate stress eating. You no longer have to constantly worry about your eating habits and stress management. Just act on them and see the results.

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