Stress Eating as an Unhealthy Coping Mechanism

Life can get hectic and overwhelming at times. Between work, school, difficult relationships, financial concerns, relationship conflicts, or the many social and other issues one faces daily, there is a lot to deal with. When we’re under enormous pressure, various coping options present themselves, though we don’t always make healthy choices. One of the ways people deal with stress is through stress eating, which is also known as emotional eating.

Why stress eating is working against you.

Stress eating is a common way for people to deal with difficult emotions or situations. Research indicates this connection between stress and food, as people tend to seek high-calorie, high-fat foods during periods of stress. This occurs despite the fact that when people are stressed. their bodies store more fat than when they are relaxed, and this leads to weight gain.

According to the American Psychological Association, a survey showed that 38% of US adults said they overate or ate unhealthy foods in the past month because of stress. Around 49% of these adults reported engaging in these behaviors weekly or more.

We can turn to food for comfort and to soothe unwanted emotions such as stress, anger, loneliness, or sadness. This impulse to turn to these comfort foods can become an automatic reaction, and that means you reach for those treats in a stressful situation without even thinking about it.

Physiologically, what happens when we’re feeling stressed is that our bodies release cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol increases a person’s appetite, and distress increases the intake of foods that tend to be either sugary, high in fat, or both.

These types of foods, once you eat them, seem to have a dampening effect on stress, and so they really do seem to comfort you. That pizza or pint of ice cream can make you feel better temporarily, but afterward you can end up feeling much worse. Stress eating, in other words, has tricked you!

If you want to know if you are a stress or emotional eater, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you feel like you are powerless, helpless, or out of control around food?
• Do you tend to eat more when you are feeling stressed?
• Do you find yourself eating when you are not hungry or when you are already feeling full?
• Do you regularly eat until you have eaten beyond what you need?
• Do you eat to calm yourself and soothe difficult emotions?
• Do you feel like food is a friend and that it makes you feel safe?
• Do you reward yourself with food?

If you answer one or more of these in the affirmative, you may be a stress or emotional eater, and your relationship with food may not be altogether healthy.

Healthy coping mechanisms.

Food is one of the many gifts that the Lord has given us. It is not meant to have mastery over us, nor are we to use it in ways that are not beneficial to us. As the apostle Paul wrote, ^“‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say – but not everything is beneficial. ’I have the right to do anything’ – but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6: 12, NIV)

Healthy ways to deal with your stress and to begin developing a healthy relationship with food include:

Stress management through self-care.

Instead of stress eating, try stress management techniques such as deep breathing, exercising regularly, getting good rest, or reducing some of your stressors by saying “No” to allow yourself more margin in your life.

Practice mindful eating.

Keep a food diary to keep track of what you’re eating and what’s happening in your life. This will help you see your eating patterns and when cravings are connected to stress. You can then ask yourself if you are truly hungry, and then wait awhile before eating.

Choose healthier food options.

If you want to snack, maybe go for a healthier option in a lower-calorie, lower-fat option. Go for fresh fruit, nuts, or unbuttered popcorn, or vegetables with a low-fat dip. Having some of these snacks available and ready to go makes choosing them easier. This may also mean changing your shopping list so that you exclude unhealthier snacks.

Be mindful of your portion sizes.

Sometimes, small choices make a significant difference. For example, eating a few scoops of ice cream in a bowl will be better than sitting down with the pint container in front of you. Perhaps instead of taking out the whole box of leftover pizza, just take out one slice. Take a snack sized portion out of the box instead of taking the entire box with you to the couch or bed.

Get support.

A dependable support network can provide you with an outlet beside food for dealing with tough situations and emotions. Your family and friends or maybe a support group can fulfil that role in your life.

Consider counseling.

Additionally, counseling with a mental health professional can offer the deeper work of healing you may crave. It can also assist you in building the skills you need to combat stress in your life.

Your emotional hunger cannot be filled by eating food. A counselor can help you know whether your eating is disordered and assist you on the journey to a healthy relationship with food and in other areas of your life.

Reach out to us at The Colony Christian Counseling in Texas today and we can assist you in finding a suitable counselor from our directory. Your therapist can help you to lean on the Lord in times of crisis and what it means for Him to be your true comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV)