Do You Eat Your Stress then Stress over What You've Eaten?

In short, binge eating can be described as unrestrained, excessive indulgence and you don't care for that moment; replaced by feelings of self-loathing, personal disgust and feelings of failure. Add to that the presence of stress and it feels amplified to a seemingly hopeless level. But please know that it's not hopeless, you are not hopeless.

Most people binge eat or stress eat because it gives them a sense of control. The rules are up to them and no one is there to approve or disapprove of their actions; they are in charge of themselves. Some folks feel a sort of numbness during their stress binge. Maybe you had a busy day at work or at home which included a few full meetings, heated discussions or disagreements. Maybe a project that you've been working on had a glitch that you couldn't quite fix or it didn't work out as you planned, or perhaps a coworker was less than cooperative. When your work day was done you might have felt frazzled and frustrated and wanted just one thing to go your way today and it began with consuming something sweet, smooth, rich, and all yours. The feeling you got while indulging offset your bitter, difficult and emotionally/physically heated day. Unfortunately that elated feeling was followed by more negative feelings and self-thoughts.

Your life doesn't have to continue to follow this self-sabotaging cycle. You can gain control over all situations if you can recognize the issues and the feelings that are attached to such issues. You can learn how to de-stress without turning to food to "fix it". A few strategies to stop your stress-related binge eating are:

-Exercise (a mood booster), meditation, sensory relaxation techniques and simple breathing exercises

-Eat 3 meals a day plus healthy snacks in between meals, also keep healthy snacks at your desk or in your car as well as fresh filtered or spring water since dehydration can lead to stress as well

-Avoid temptation; keep only healthy snacks in the house, car or office

-Don't diet, dieting means deprivation. If you eat healthy, whole foods regularly it's ok to indulge in small portions once in a while which will eliminate the feeling of being deprived or "left out"

-Remedy boredom, you've probably heard that a hundred times but it works since we often eat when not hungry for lack of something else to do

-Proper sleep is essential, even if it means turning in earlier than your used to doing

-Know the signs of hunger; is it emotional or is it physical?

-Keep a food diary, if nothing else it shows you exactly what you've eaten throughout the day, you might be surprised that it's often more food than we think we eat

-And lastly, quite important too, Get Support! Having someone who understands and can guide you through the process of gaining control of your lifestyle and eating habits is undoubtedly beneficial.

So, next time you have a rough day and want to grab that double chocolate latte topped with a mountain of whipped cream or a super chunk candy bar stop for a moment, breathe, center your thoughts and drive home. On this particular day, be in charge of yourself in a loving, nurturing, caring way. You don't have to be the victim of other's negativity and control; be a hero to yourself. Be proud of who you are and don't let anyone undo your personal weight or lifestyle successes.

Dawn M. Silva CHHC

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