Some people lose their appetites when they're under stress. More
often than not, though, the opposite is true: Stressful situations trigger
emotional eating for a lot of people, whether it's because food provides a
source of comfort or because they feel extra hungry when they're under stress.
So it's hardly surprising that "stress is the number-one predictor of
gaining or regaining weight," says John Foreyt, Ph.D., director of
behavioral medicine research at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
"When people are under stress, to get rid of the negative feelings they
tend to revert to eating high-fat or high-calorie foods they liked in
childhood."
Indeed, recent research
from the University of California, San Francisco suggests that we're actually
biologically wired for this behavior. Scientists have found that consuming food
that's laden with sugar, fat and calories appears to literally calm down the
body's response to stress, causing a slowdown in the release of stress
hormones. While this can be a good thing in the short-term, some experts are
concerned that our increasingly stressful way of life may be contributing to thegrowing
obesity epidemic by
continuously triggering hormonal surges that, in turn, stimulate appetite.
But this doesn't mean
you have to be at the mercy of your physiology. You can learn to handle
stressful situations without overindulging. The key is to follow the right
strategies for your situation.
Chronic Stress
There are times in your
life when your stress-meter registers overload but there's no immediate
solution for getting rid of the source. Maybe you're miserable in your job or
you have serious financial troubles. When stress is sustained, as it is in
these situations, the urge to nosh can be practically irrepressible. But
overindulging will probably only make you feel worse, especially if you eat
lots of sweet or starchy foods, which is what women often crave when they're
under stress, Dr. Foreyt says. Remind yourself that food is not the answer. What
is? Practicing smart coping strategies.
Map out your meals
Before ongoing stress
has the chance to wreck your diet, plan your meals
so that you eat regularly and have some lean protein, fat and carbohydrates in
every meal, advises Catherine Christie, Ph.D., R.D., an assistant professor of
nutrition at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville and coauthor of
I'd Kill for a Cookie. "The carbohydrates will calm you and the protein will
give you sustained energy." Ideally, try to eat three meals a day, plus
two small snacks such as lowfat yogurt, cheese and fruit, or peanut butter and
crackers. "This will keep your blood sugar stable and your hunger satiated
and prevent you from reaching for food to relieve stress," says Kathleen
Zelman, M.P.H., R.D., a nutrition consultant in Atlanta and director of
nutrition for WebMD.
Exercise regularly
Aerobic exercise, such
as brisk walking or jogging, triggers the release of endorphins and other
feel-good chemicals, which improve your sense of well-being, Dr. Foreyt
explains. "Feelings of well-being are incompatible with stress."
Consume lots of antioxidant-rich foods
"Antioxidants help
protect your body from the harmful effects of stress," Dr. Christie says.
To get enough vitamin A, C and E, aim to eat seven to nine servings of fruits
and vegetables a day. Antioxidant powerhouses include blueberries, melons,
nectarines, peaches, strawberries, papaya, carrots, broccoli, spinach and sweet
potatoes.
Curb your caffeine intake
When under stress, some
people drink coffee all day long to keep themselves going. It's a strategy that
can backfire, Dr. Christie explains, because "caffeine actually mimics the
stress response." In fact, a study at Duke University in Durham, North
Carolina, found that people who swallow 500 mg of caffeine a day (equal to two
large servings of coffee) experience an increase in blood pressure, produce
more stress hormones and feel 50 percent more stressed out until bedtime than
on the days when they opt for decaf. While one or two servings of coffee or
another caffeinated food or beverage (yes, soda and chocolate count) is probably fine, "don't
pile it on," Dr. Christie says.
Create your own pressure-release valve
If you practice
meditation, deep-breathing exercises or progressive muscle relaxation (in which
you systematically tense then relax various muscle groups from head to toe) on
a regular basis, you can lower your reactivity to stress in general and be
armed with a stress-busting strategy when you really need it. A recent study at
the Medical University of South Carolina found that relaxation training helped
10 adults with night-eating syndrome (a condition often triggered by stress in
which people consume 50 percent or more of their daily food intake after 6
p.m.). Many different relaxation techniques work; the key is to find the right
one for you. "You should try them all to see what best fits your
psychological makeup," says Sandra Haber, Ph.D., a health psychologist in
New York City and coauthor of Finding Your Voice: A Woman's Guide to Using Self-Talk
for Fulfilling Relationships, Work, and Life. "If you find it engrossing
and distracting, then it's a good choice for you."
Acute Stress
When you're caught
off-guard by stressful situations, whether it's a traffic jam before an
important meeting, an argument with your boss or a call from your child's
school about his misbehavior, your best bet is to give yourself a time-out
before reaching for that candy bar or bag of chips. Look at what happened and
see if you can gain a better perspective on the situation or find a way to
learn from it, Dr. Foreyt suggests. If a silver lining doesn't appear, put the
scenario out of your mind for the moment and give yourself a breather. Here's
how:
Pull the emotional escape hatch
Take a very deep breath,
almost like an inward sigh, and then exhale slowly. Repeat this for a few
minutes and as you do, go to a favorite place in your mind, Dr. Haber suggests,
one that is serene and peaceful (the beach, the mountains or a place of your
own invention). Notice the sights and sounds in that setting, the smells and
physical sensations you'd experience there. "Stay there for a few moments
and really appreciate the beauty and safety that is there," she says.
"It will help you destress because you will have removed your senses from
the current situation and given yourself a vacation from the problem at
hand."
Have a cup of hot tea
"There's something
nurturing or soothing about the warmth that eases tension and makes you feel
calmer," Zelman says. If tea doesn't appeal to you, try a mug of
chicken soup. "It'll remind you of what your mother fed you when you were
sick as a child, when you felt cared for and comforted," Dr. Christie
says.
Distract yourself
"Most cravings last
about ten minutes, so if you can impose another activity for that long, the
feeling is likely to pass," Dr. Foreyt says. Ask yourself if you're truly
hungry. If you are, have a whole-grain snack, such as whole-wheat toast with
peanut butter, or a filling drink like tomato juice; if you're not, divert your
attention by calling a friend, playing a favorite CD or taking a walk.
"After even a five- to ten-minute walk, you can come back feeling better
able to regulate your mood," Zelman says.
Have a taste of what you crave
If the craving doesn't
pass, your best bet may be to eat a small amount of what you want, e.g., a
couple of Hershey's Kisses to put a chocolate craving to rest once and for all.
"For acute stress, carbohydrates may have a temporary calming
effect," Dr. Christie says, "and there's nothing wrong with having a
small portion of chocolate occasionally. It's portion-control that's the main
issue."
Speak kindly to yourself
Use affirmations or pep
talks to help weather the emotional storm without eating. "Usually people
catastrophize in an acutely stressful situation," Dr. Haber explains.
"If you de-catastrophize by telling yourself, 'This isn't the end of the
world,' or depersonalize the situation by telling yourself that your boss got
upset because he's in a bad mood, you can get your balance back." To
restore your sense of equilibrium, slowly repeat to yourself a soothing phrase
such as "This isn't the end of the world" or "I can handle
this." "We all react to stress as if everything were a fire,"
Dr. Haber explains. "If you have perspective, it helps you cope more
calmly and not go off the deep end with food or anger."
Recurrent Stress
Whether it strikes
during family get-togethers or when you fight with your spouse, it may seem as
though you're a victim of circumstances when dealing with recurrent stress. And
at times like these, you may think it's impossible to exercise willpower. Not so.
"Anything you can predict, you can control," Dr. Foreyt says.
"Go through the situation in your mind and devise a plan to counteract
what's happened in the past." If you know you're likely to overeat when
your mother-in-law comes to visit, make sure you design survival strategies
ahead of time to cope with her food-pushing ways or the tension you feel in her
presence. Try these tactics:
Work out your stress beforehand
If you know stress
is heading your way, try to exercise early in the day to promote
feelings of well-being all day long. A series of studies at California State
University, Long Beach concluded that exercise appears to be the most effective
mood-regulating behavior.
Start a stress-eating diary
Jot down what foods you
tend to eat when you're under stress and when you're likely to eat them, Dr.
Christie suggests. "Once you know, plan ahead and have healthier alternatives
or portion-controlled servings." Instead of chowing down on potato chips,
you might have a small bowl of microwave popcorn; if what you crave is
something creamy, you could have vanilla yogurt instead of ice cream.
Watch your alcohol intake
"Having one drink
might help you relax, but more than that adds up to lots of extra calories,
sleep loss and a headache in the morning," Zelman says. It can also make
you feel worse about the situation at hand since alcohol often has a depressant
effect.
Lean on a phone buddy
When you feel like
you're at wits' end, sneak away and call a friend. "Social support can
distract you from the stress and from eating," Dr. Christie says. "If
you have a buddy who is a stress eater and understands what you're going through,
maybe she can coach you through a tough moment and offer a perspective you
haven't seen."
Forgive yourself
After fighting with your
spouse, you caved in and ate that pint of Rocky Road ice cream. Big deal!
Remind yourself that an occasional lapse won't wreck your weight-management
goals, but self-flagellation just might. Instead of beating yourself up, let it
slide and vow to get back on track with your next meal. "If you lose
control and eat too much, use that experience as a guide for how to handle it
the next time," says Dr. Foreyt. "The best thing you can do is learn
from it."