Stress can come into your life from many things. It could be a morning rush to work, a deadline you have to meet, or a difficult family situation. How you deal with stress in your life is a personal choice. Turning to food is a common way that some choose to distract themselves from these stressors. Learn more about stress and emotional eating and how this can impact your weight loss journey.

What is Stress?

Stress is defined as a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stress comes in many forms and a small amount can actually be good for you, however too much can lead to negative reactions as well.

Common Signs of Stress:

• Insomnia or sleeping disturbances
• Headaches
• Gastrointestinal upset
• Weight gain or loss
• Muscle tension and cramping
• Fatigue
• Nervousness or anxiety
• Problems with memory and concentration
• Increased irritability
• Chest pain

Dealing with Stress:

How you learn to deal with stress in our life is different for everyone. You may need to work to develop some growth in this area to be able to manage your weight effectively.

Some positive reactions to deal with stress would be to engage in a form of physical activity, participate in an enjoyable hobby, meditation, deep breathing exercises, etc. Some negative reactions to stress include disordered eating patterns, overeating and/or emotional eating, or even substance abuse.  

Emotional Eating

Emotional eating is consuming foods in response to emotions, most commonly negative emotions and feelings. Emotional eating can be any of the following:

• Obsessing about food
• Using food as a reward
• Binge eating
• Impulsive eating
• Inability to stop eating/continuing to eat when full
• Hiding evidence of eating/eating in private
• Feelings of guilt or remorse after eating
• Inability to recognize the reason for eating
• Eating at a faster rate than normal

Learning how to react to and control stress in your life in a positive way can help control emotional eating. Start by recognizing the signs and sources of stressors in your life and develop positive responses that will in the end, help you manage your weight. 

Learn more about a safe, proven, weight loss program in your area by visiting WeightLossNebraska.com.