It is natural for some people to turn to food when there is stress, anxiety, or depression. Our bodies have recognized over the years that eating in these situations makes us feel better. Brain chemistry changes when eating “comfort” foods.  We feel “nourished” and comforted by the food. Over time, comforting ourselves with food becomes a habit and can be difficult to overcome. However, eating in response to emotions does not change the situation or solve the problem. It just causes weight gain.  We all need strategies to deal with emotions and ways to nourish ourselves without the use of food.  The following is an example of how food may work as a mood regulator:

You have a fight with a coworker and you are feeling really angry.  Next, you have a conscious or unconscious food thought and you find yourself dishing up a bowl of ice cream.  As you eat the ice cream, you are no longer focused on your anger. After a while, the anger returns and it is often accompanied by guilt from overeating. This can become a self-defeating cycle until healthier coping strategies are developed. 

Healthy Strategies to Prevent Overeating

• Identifying triggers that lead to emotional eating is a first step.  Ask yourself to rate your hunger level before you eat any unplanned food or drink with a “1” being extremely hungry and a “10” being very full.  If your hunger level is on the upper half of the scale, think about what else may be triggering you to eat. 

• To break the cycle, distract yourself from eating for 10 to 15 minutes. 

• Engage in an activity that is not conducive to eating such as taking a shower, talking on the phone, running an errand, or taking a walk. Usually the urge for emotional eating will subside after these lengths of time. 

Use Your Moments of Temptation

Use the moments of temptation to learn what needs to change in your life. Think about ways to change the situation or solve the problem without using food. You will need to learn new skills to resolve your emotional distress. 

▪          Reward yourself or celebrate by buying a non-food treat, taking a bubble bath, or getting a massage. 

▪          Get up and move. Exercise also changes brain chemistry that can improve your mood, decrease your stress, and help you to deal with emotions in a non-food manner. 

▪          Talk to those who make you angry, upset, or frustrated. Talk to a friend about the situation.

▪          Put a label on your feelings. Is it anger, disappointment, fear, sadness, happiness, or joy? 

▪          Make constructive plans to change negative situations in your life. If you eat a ½ gallon of ice cream, the situation has not changed, but your waistline has. 

▪          Learn stress reduction techniques.

▪          Work toward meeting your needs without the use of food. 

▪          Strengthen friendships.

▪          Develop deeper spiritual health.

▪          Use positive and assertive words to help you, such as.:

“I can find other ways to deal with my sadness (regret, fear, frustration).”

“I do not need to numb myself from the everyday stressors of life.”

 “I can find other ways to fill this void in my life without the use of food.”

Plan Healthy Meals

In addition to identifying triggers and learning new skills to resolve emotional distress, create a meal plan. Plan six small healthy meals and snacks throughout the day.  Enjoy eating.  Think of eating as “mini celebrations” throughout the day.  You may want to make your meals more enjoyable by eating with other people; eating by candlelight and soft music; or using fine china. Choose foods that you enjoy and that nourish your body. 

Stress and Weight Gain

A certain amount of stress in our lives is healthy.  It provides the pressure or motivation that allows us to get things done, and to move forward.  There is an increasing awareness of the relationship between chronic stress and weight gain. Prolonged levels of high stress can lead to an increase in appetite and stress-induced weight gain. This excess weight is often found around the midsection.  People often experience cravings for carbohydrate foods. Eating in response to these cravings can quickly become a habit. Break the behavior chain of high stress eating by incorporating the following lifestyle habits:

▪          Regular exercise - the positive changes that occur in brain chemistry with exercise can help counter the negative effects of chronic stress.

▪          Eat six small meals - this habit helps maintain even blood sugar levels and controls appetite.

▪          Keep up on your sleep - stress hormones can rise when you become sleep-deprived.

▪          Relax - find time to do activities that you find relaxing. Relaxation techniques or meditation can decrease stress hormones.

▪          Avoid added sugar -keeps blood sugar levels even and appetites in check.

▪          Avoid caffeine and cigarettes - stress hormones can increase with use.

▪          Assess your lifestyle-determine if there are areas in which you can control or limit stress.

▪          Assess your reaction to stressful situations-stress isn’t an event or situation; it comes from your reaction to that event or situation. 

Maintaining Long-Term Weight Loss

You may need to seek out professional help to deal with unresolved issues or events that have happened in your life that are preventing you from maintaining long-term weight loss.  Excess weight may be a protective coat,  sheltering you from the vulnerabilities of this world.  Seek help so that you can move beyond what is holding you back from the healthy life that you deserve. 

Additional Resource

The Solution Program offers online, group, and phone coaching to help you break free from emotional eating. More information can be found on their website:  www.thepathway.org.