8 Ways to stop stress eating

Let’s face it. Every now and then we all reach for that midnight snack or that sweet sweet chocolate bar (or two!). Stress eating is a pattern of eating when a person uses food to help them deal with stressful moments or anxiety. When emotional eating becomes a frequent behaviour, it can become a habit and a way of getting through negative emotions. But some us are all too familiar with the negative impact stress eating has on our life, physical and mental health and our waistline. Stress, the hormones it triggers and the effect of high-fat and sugary comfort foods lead to overeating. So how do we manage stress without overeating?

Here are 8 simple ways to avoid stress-eating:

1. Meditation: Meditation reduces stress and can help people become more mindful of their food choices. With practice, we can manage the impulse to grab a sugar- and fat-loaded meals and crave food when our body needs it, not when our emotions do.

2. Get moving: It’s no secret that exercise can help us deal with negative emotions. Some activities, such as yoga and tai chi, have elements of both meditation and exercise. Being stuck at home can lead to boredom and stress and accordingly an increased snacking frequency. If you’re stuck at home or can’t go to a fitness centre, try including a walk or a jog in your daily schedule or get your blood pumping with an online work-out regimen. Just stay off that couch!

3. Social Support: There is no shame in talking to your loved ones about what you’re going through. A recent study reported emotional eating in 54% of the population in just the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, so you’re not alone! Find a supportive friend going through the same struggle and OWN your stress-eating together!

4. Remove temptation: Don’t want to eat the entire ice-cream bucket in the middle of the night? Then don’t buy the ice-cream! Research has shown that visual exposure of high-calorie foods increases craving and overeating. It’s normal (and quite honestly necessary!) to indulge in a high-calorie meal every now and then. But for now, just keep the cookies out of sight, okay?

5. Check in with yourself: The best way to prevent over-eating, is to figure out why you’re overeating. It’s important to determine if you’re eating because you’re hungry or because you’re stressed. So take a minute before meals to check in with yourself. If you’re going through a stressful time, try to find out why you’re worried and how to solve your distress.

6. Stay hydrated: Research has shown a strong association between chronic dehydration and an elevated risk of obesity. So, if you’re stuck at home or have a long day at work, try adding a fresh slice of fruit to your water. This boosts its flavour so you’re motivated to drink more, without adding calories to your diet.

7. Don’t restrict: Oftentimes, restricting the amount of food or calorie intake leads to binging and overeating. It’s never a good idea to follow a highly restrictive diet or deprive yourself of food, especially during stressful times.

8. Bring out your inner chef: Planning your meals ahead kills time and has shown to improve diet quality and a decreased risk of obesity. Choose nourishing and filling foods and just have fun with it!

OWN Team recommends: Don’t put yourself down if you don’t succeed in avoiding stress-eating today. Breaking a habit is never easy and involves days of failing and days of succeeding. When you fall into temptation today, don’t let the guilt-trip and anxiety take over. Instead remember that if you don’t OWN it today, you can still OWN it tomorrow, don’t give up!

Let’s OWN our stress-eating, together!

OWN your food. OWN your life.