How Can I Stop Stress-Eating?

We eat when we are happy, we eat when we are sad. 

 We get free treats at the check out line in the grocery store 
and the teller's window at the bank. 

 We eat chocolate when we did something wonderful to reward ourselves.

 We eat ice cream when we are feeling miserable and need some comfort.

 This is starting to sound like a Dr. Seuss book... but seriously, 

 Stress-eating isn't really a word but most of you probably know what it is.

 Why do we stress-eat?

 We eat to avoid our feelings. By
using food to dull those feelings we are usually adding calories to our day that are unnecessary and our body stores it as fat. 

 If we feel stress a lot, this way of dealing with it can lead to unhealthy eating habits and added weight. 

 Eventually it can even lead to more permanent health issues. 

 I'm not trying to freak you out, but 

 I really want to offer a few tips on what to do when we feel the need to stress-eat.

 1. When you want to eat, but know it's not necessary, first of all, just recognizing it as stress-eating is a big deal. Many of us get half done with the bowl of ice cream before we realize we are stress-eating.

 2. Allow the urge without giving in. When you notice the urge, it reduces in urgency. It loses steam and you are able to gain power over it. Urges are funny little thoughts that are tricky! 

 They are like a little leprechaun in our brain sneaking around and dropping hints all the time to get you to eat unnecessarily. See those little leprechauns and be in charge. Don't let them run the whole house.

 3. See food as only fuel. The job of food in your life is to fuel your body. That's it. The right kind of fuel and the right amount of fuel is important to keep our bodies running well. 

 4. Remember, stress is only an emotion. It's just a feeling in your body that is created by a thought in your brain. You can totally handle that! It can do no harm by being allowed to stay for a while. Take a deep breath, and find a strategy to deal with the stress without including food.

 If you'd like to stop stress-eating, I'd love to help. Check out my Facebook page and book a free session today. https://www.facebook.com/LornaOlsonCoaching

 Space is limited, so book today.

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