12 Ways to Stop Stress Eating

无论您正在处理世界活动，苛刻的工作，杂耍家庭责任还是其他压力源，要镇定食物来冷静下来是一种非常普遍的应对机制。38％的成年人说，他们在过去一个月中已经超过或达到了不健康的食物because of stress，其中一半至少每周这样做一次美国心理协会调查。

Stress eatingserves as a soothing distraction, and, for many people, it’s become anunhealthy habit。When you’re stressed out,皮质醇水平(aka the stress hormone) go up, which can boost your appetite andcravingsfor foods high in fat and sugar. “Fatty andsugary foods(often known as comfort foods) seem to chill out the part of your brain that sends stress signals,” explainsCandice Seti, PsyD, a weight-loss therapist.

Unfortunately,emotional eatingonly acts as a Band-Aid for stress, and afterward, the stress comes right back, often compounded byguilt from overeating或者making unhealthy choices.

The good news is you can successfully get out of a stress-eating spiral with smart strategies that include being compassionate with yourself and制定计划,以更好地处理压力in the future. Here’s how:

The next time you feel the urge to stress-eat, take a moment to ask yourself, “Why am I so stressed out?” To break the habit of stress eating, it’s important to investigate what’s triggering your stress in the first place, says Lucy Call, RD. Common culprits include work, personal conflicts, financial struggles and many things that are simply out of your control (like the COVID-19 pandemic). Whether you journal on paper or jot a few things down on your phone’s notes app, identifying your stressors cantake your mind off of food并授权您解决真正使您感到沮丧的事情（例如过度包装的日程安排或正在进行的工作冲突），而不是进食以使其消失。

For many of us, stress eating is so automatic and habitual that we hardly think about it — we just grab whatever’s in sight. “In order to guard against thismindless eating, try to keep less nutritious foods out of sight,” says Katie Rickel, PhD, a clinical psychologist and CEO of结构房屋, a residential weight-management facility in Durham, North Carolina. For example, store ice cream in the very back of the freezer beyond the frozen meat and veggies and keep high-calorie junk food in an out-of-reach cabinet or on the highest shelf in your pantry. Even better, make low-calorie, healthy snacks highly accessible by cutting up fresh fruits and veggies and storing them in a glass container front and center in your fridge.Organizing your kitchen for weight-loss successcan help streamline healthy habits.

When you’re stressed out, it’s easy to lose sight of the long-term benefits of making healthy food choices because you just want to feel better ASAP. To get yourself back on track, post reminders of why you want to lose weight on your cupboards or fridge, such as a photo of the grandchildren you want to see graduate high school or the5K route you want to tackle。里克尔说：“这些策略可以创造出急切的时空和时间，您可以选择不寻求食物的舒适感。”另一个选择：在邮政邮寄记录中写下自己的提醒，说明当您不吃饱的夜晚过夜时感觉如何。

Unless you have a replacement food or activity, it’s almost impossible for our brains to hear ‘don’t’ when we tell ourselves ‘don’t eat the chocolate cake,’” says Lucy Call. If your典型的降雨例程is to head for the pantry and plop down in front of the TV, try swapping this for a new self-care routine that’s not food-based, likea brisk walk或者晚上皮肤care regime。If you tend to go through a certain drive-thru on the way home after a tough day of work, consider taking a different, more scenic route while listening to somerelaxing musicinstead.

Meditationcan be a great tool for stress management as you calm your body and mind by slowing your heart rate and breathing, says Seti. If you already struggle with emotional eating,mindfulness meditationcan help you have fewer episodes, shows a review inEating Behaviors。To get started, try a guided meditation orhealthy eating meditationwith an app like Headspace or Unplug. Set aside a specific time each day and aim to stick to it for at least 10 days, suggests Seti.

When you feel yourself losing control of your stress and cravings, take a few minutes topractice deep breathing或diaphragmatic呼吸。“通过腹部呼吸，让它像气球一样充满。呼吸几秒钟，然后释放并重复几分钟。”Balance One。“Focusing on the rhythm and呼吸质量can help take your mind off of the stress and combat it by improving oxygenation in your body and releasing tension in your muscles.” As simple as it sounds, this technique can help you relax and significantly lower your cortisol levels, per a recent study inFrontiers in Psychology。

Putting in just a few minutes of exercise can help ward off stress eating. “The endorphins [feel-good hormones]从移动身体和出汗是减轻压力的最有效方法之一。”例子：做15分钟的学生high-intensity interval exercisesafter mental work ate 125 fewer calories when offered all-you-can-eat-pizza than those who rested, per a study inMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercise。Make regular exercise a habit by signing up for acalorie-scorching class和committing to going at the same time every week, suggests Call.

If you tend to find yourself stress eating as a way to self-soothe while you’re sitting around or watching TV, try getting your hands moving with a fun activity instead. “Just taking 10–15 minutes to direct your attention to something tactile and calming can help you forget about your desire to stress eat,” saysLiz Wyosnick，路。这可能意味着要享受一本成人的着色书，绘画指甲，编织，手工制作，泡沫滚动甚至整理家中的物品。

In stressful times, it helps tohave a support system随时待命。“If stress eating is a chronic struggle for you, bring it up with a trusted friend or loved one beforehand and ask if they’d be open to being your go-to person to call when you’re tempted to stress-eat,” says Call. Then, your friend can help youtalk out your thoughts和feelings and remind you tostick to your nutrition goals。Working with a professional such as a therapist could also help if it’s a persistent issue.

“Eat consistently整天，您的饥饿并不会在一天结束时积累。” Gariglio-Clelland说。“重要的是要吃满意并避免以响应ravenous hungerlater — which can be exacerbated by stress,” adds Call. “Try to set yourself up for success and choose options that will make your body feel good.” Think: filling,fiber-richfoods,lean proteins,healthy fats和complex carbs。

Think back: How often have you eaten the last cookie or potato chip in the bag only to realize you didn’t really taste any of them? When you’re stress eating, you’re often so distracted and disconnected you eat too much but don’t feel all that satisfied. “Next time you’re in the whirl of it, challenge yourself to slow down for one mindful bite,” says Rickel. Get rid of all distractions, bring the food to your mouth, and take in the smell, sight, sound and feeling of it. Chew slowly to savor the texture and taste, and feel the food move down your esophagus and into your belly before you go for the next bite. Then, repeat the process as many times as necessary. As you practicemindful eating, you might find paying attention to the experience makes you feelcalmer and more satiated。

On top of stress,sleep deprivationcan bring about more hunger-inducing hormonal imbalances (not to mention, lack of sleep can worsen stress), says Gariglio-Clelland. If you’re low on sleep, you’re more likely to reach for low-nutrient, high-fat foods, and you’re more susceptible to emotional eating due to an increase in cortisol. Aim for 7–8 hours of优质的睡眠each night by unwinding with a smart bedtime routine. Stick to the same schedule andcut off access to distractions(blue light from your phone, laptop and TV) at least an hour prior to going to sleep. During that time,de-stress with other smart choiceslike agood book或者a cup of tea, suggests Seti.

Originally published September 2019, updated with additional reporting

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