Being stressed can make you think that sitting in front of your television screen with junk foods (e.g. hamburgers and chocolate ice cream) is the easiest way to solve emotional woes. However, while eating, guilt and frustration can set in.
A stressful life can trigger cravings for food, leading to binge (immoderate) eating. Binge eating is a reaction to stress because your body releases cortisol, an appetite-boosting hormone, as a response to stress.
Though eating is the usual way of coping with stress, research has shown that it does nothing to lower stress levels. Instead, it leads to excessive weight gain!
Stress triggers your body’s fight-or-flight response, bringing the cortisol hormone into your bloodstream. Cortisol raises hunger because the body craves energy to attack whatever stressor you face.
You’ll particularly turn to junk food since your body craves energy-dense foods high in fats, calories, and sugars. Regrettably, these foods literally increase stress further and add to weight gain.
You’ll likely want to stop binge eating as it worsens your problem by adding to your weight. Combat your cravings by learning new ways to cope with stress, deal with your emotions, and distract yourself from eating.
Do you want to stop your binge eating that is due to stress? This post has highlighted what you need to do to stop it.
How to stop binge eating
When you’re overwhelmed by stress, your eating habits may be disrupted because eating will always divert your attention away from the thoughts you want to avoid. Though you will get temporary distraction and comfort, it doesn’t solve what is actually causing the stress.
Therefore, the right time to stop your excessive eating is now!
Follow the tips below to get freed from your excessive eating cravings;
- Do something that will relax you by taking a bath, meditating for about 10 minutes, or going for a walk. Your stress levels will be reduced, and your cravings will go by.
- Face the problem directly by addressing what stresses you instead of diverting your attention to food.
- Make plans with friends and family and surround yourself with them. The reason you might not be feeling lonely is that “comfort foods” are decreasing the feeling. So, ditch those foods and meet with your friends!
- Even if you must indulge, accept your stress and let yourself enjoy one small treat rather than lose control and consume excessive food.
Conclusion
Binge eating is the excessive eating of food in a limited amount of time. Therefore, overeating due to stress could be a form of binge eating. Binge eating disorder (BED) is classified as having at least one episode of excessive eating a week for three consecutive months.
Nevertheless, if you think you have a binge eating disorder, speak with a doctor to get well. Treatment might involve counselling and, sometimes, medications.