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How do I stop stress eating?

By July 1, 2022No Comments

Hello! It’s Jeff Tomaszewski Chief Life Transformer at Maxstrength Fitness and I have a hot topic for you that affects more than 75% of adults! It’s STRESS EATING … and it can hit each of us differently. In fact, more than 75% of adults said that stress played a role in their eating during the past month … so this is very important stuff! In this video, I’ve got some ideas to help you gain back control, so stress eating doesn’t completely derail your progress. First, though, let’s talk about what stress eating actually IS. Basically, it’s when your appetite is triggered by your body’s stress response. This can happen from a stressful event happening… or having a stressful day in general. Your body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to help you deal with the stress, which is awesome. But those hormones can also affect your appetite. And those effects can include:

  • overeating because you don’t feel “full” the way you normally do, or
  • craving junk foods or other foods high in fat, salt, and sugar, or
  • you might lose your appetite altogether.

But here’s the thing about the stress response: The hormones your body releases also can make your body store MORE fat than you would if you were feeling relaxed! You can see how over time this can add up. Especially since for a lot of people, stress eating happens on a weekly basis, or even more often. Plus, it can affect your self-esteem. In a study, people who said stress affected their eating told researchers they felt sluggish, lazy, disappointed in themselves, and irritable. Stress eating is NOT a willpower issue, but an actual physiological response. Knowing this can help stop you from giving in to it when it happens. Here are a few tips to help you deal with “stress eating” … or not eating when you’re stressed:

  1. Acknowledge it! If you’re feeling stressed and notice your appetite is gone OR you start craving junk food, remind yourself that you’re stressed … and focus on dealing with whatever is actually stressing you.
  2. Exercise. Go for a walk, do a workout, basically MOVE – it’s one of the fastest stress relievers and mood boosters there is. Plus, it can get you out of the situation and into a new perspective.
  3. Meditate or do deep breathing. Just 5 minutes can help you feel calmer, more focused, and less stressed.
  4. Talk it out. Taking a few minutes to get some support with whatever is bothering you can help you take back control.

And … if this is something you deal with regularly, it can help to talk to a professional who has experience with stress eating issues. I hope these tips help YOU gain back control, instead of letting your body lead the way. You’ve got this! And if you’re looking for more support and accountability to help you improve the quality of your health and fitness you can request your free initial consultant and demo workout at maxstrengthfitness.com and we’ll get you started right away. Thanks for watching! I’ll see you soon! Also, be on the lookout for the launch of our brand new 1-1 MaxStrength Wellness coaching where we can definitely help you with stressful eating and a myriad of other wellness issues that might be holding you back for living life on your terms! Thanks for watching! I’ll see you soon!