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How to Stop Stress Eating

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(6 Ratings)

The boss was yelling at work. The spouse is out of town, and the kids are involved an arm wrestling tournament guaranteed to wreck the house. Oh yeah, and the cat got sick on your bed. It takes a strong person to not turn to food after a day like that. Stress eating offers temporary relief and not-so-temporary weight gain. Follow these steps to stop stress eating.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Understand that stress eating actually does release chemical reactions that calm the body, but the side effects aren't worth it. Look for other ways to chase stress away.

  2. Step 2

    Eat healthy and make certain you get enough food. Following food deprivation with a serving of stress is just asking for a major blowout of the eating variety.

  3. Step 3

    Practice on-the-spot stress management techniques like relaxation therapy, imagery or deep breathing to keep stress from overwhelming you.

  4. Step 4

    Exercise your worries away. It's hard to feel stressed when you are sweating and breathing hard. Know that exercise releases endorphins that calm you.

  5. Step 5

    Soak in a bath with calming lavender added. Lavender's calming properties are often used in aromatherapy.

  6. Step 6

    Look at what caused the stress, particularly if it is chronic stress. The best solution to fighting stress eating is to stop it at the source. If it is not immediately clear, try keeping a food diary where you keep track of your food intake, feelings and events in your life.

  7. Step 7

    Take a stress inventory if you find yourself doing a lot of stress eating. These check sheets that total up stress points in a year can reveal not only where that extra ten pounds came from, but also why you are not sleeping well at night.

Tips & Warnings
  • A little chocolate might do the trick. Chocolate releases endorphin neurotransmitters that lead to calm. Stick with a small, bite-size piece of dark chocolate also filled with anti-oxidants.
  • If you still can't get a handle on stress eating and feel like it might be blood sugar related, see your doctor to be tested for stress reactive hypoglycemia.
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