9 Home Remedies to Combat Stress Eating

You eat when you are stressed? You swear that the extra 10 lbs you are carrying is at least partially due to stress? Life is hectic and food comforts you?

You are not alone!!
Stress eating is very common, and we all have a different “trigger” that may push you to eat. Maybe food helps you relax, not feel so angry, depressed, or alone. It only feels good for a few minutes though, right? Then the guilt and negative feelings set in. It is a viscous cycle!

Stress eating is a form of emotional eating, or eating for any reason besides hunger. Overeating on multiple occasions over time can lead to weight gain, and even more importantly, distract you from dealing with serious issues in your life.

Learn to deal with the negative emotions and negative self talk by addressing the real problem. Invest in a personal development or audio program, find a friend or counselor trained to help with your situation. Until you have dealt with the issue, overeating due to stress will come back to bite you (no pun intended).

Home Remedies for Dealing with Stress Eating

• Physical activity is a great stress reducer- go for a walk, bike ride, do a yoga dvd, etc.
• Take away the temptations. Get rid of the ice cream, cookies, or pizza that tempts you when you have those feelings.
• Make a list of ideas you can do when the feeling sets in: do some gardening, play with your kids, call a friend, throw some hoops, read a self-help or personal development book, etc. Make YOUR list!
• Keep your hands busy: Paint your nails, journal, type, work on a hobby, chop fruits/vegetables to have handy for tomorrow, etc.
• Become conscious of social events that trigger certain emotions: Parties with certain friends, happy hour business meetings, dating, etc. When you are aware and prepared for the situation, you can better prevent over-eating and stress eating.
• Find a new “comfort food.” Your comfort food used to be some kind of junk food, instead make a healthy smoothie, bowl of fruit, pita with hummus, greek yogurt, etc.
• Do not multi-task and eat: Multitasking while eating does not allow you to feel your emotions while you are busy watching tv, working at the computer, or driving. You may overeat because you are not paying attention to your hunger or fullness ques.
• Volunteer: Volunteering and helping others without expecting any kind of reward can make you feel better about yourself, take away negative feelings, and engages you in a positive, social atmosphere with others.
• Get enough sleep: Being well rested may help you throughout the day be in tune with your body and happier and less stressed with others around you.

Do you deal with emotional eating? What is YOUR trigger? Feel free to comment below and I’ll respond back!

Ashley