“Stress eating and what you can do about it.” Nutritional advice for Hamburg.”

*Author's Note: I often use the term "impulse eating" to describe this problem because stress is not the only trigger.

Nutrition advice for hamburgers who suffer from stress eating.

“I was/am in the situation of having to make a professional decision that was not easy for me. And unfortunately there is an “old pattern” associated with it. Insecurity = stress eating. They're healthy things, but there's too much of them. And only in the evening, when I calm down. I know this, I observe this and I don't grab a few nuts, but a few too many. If you have a few counter strategies, my scales and I would be grateful.”

– B., Fit4TheGamer

I'm working on this topic a lot at the moment as more and more people are asking me for help with stress eating. Those who are really looking an individual solution I can calm down IMMEDIATELY. This impulse eating is not a disease. You are not broken, and you are not powerless against it.

There is definitely a solution for you, but only if you care enough to invest some time. I know: many of us look for quick solutions to problems via social media, but stress eating is often connected to our deepest fears and insecurities and therefore there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Make a positive change!

No matter how powerless you feel around food and your emotions, it is possible to make a positive change. You can find healthier ways to manage your emotions, learn to eat mindfully rather than mindlessly, regain control of your weight, and finally put an end to emotional eating.

First, visualize stress eating as a response to your emotions and distinguish emotional hunger from normal hunger.

Emotional hunger: how stress eating plays tricks on us.

Emotional hunger craves specific comfort foods. When you're physically hungry, almost anything sounds good - including healthy stuff like vegetables. But emotional hunger craves junk food or sugary snacks that provide an instant high. You feel like you're eating cheesecake or pizza need and nothing else.

Emotional hunger craves specific comfort foods. When you're physically hungry, almost anything sounds good - including healthy stuff like vegetables. But emotional hunger craves junk food or sugary snacks that provide an instant high. You feel like you're eating cheesecake or pizza need and nothing else.

Emotional hunger suddenly arises. It hits you immediately and feels overwhelming and urgent. Physical hunger, on the other hand, occurs gradually. The urge to eat doesn't feel as bad or demand instant gratification (unless you haven't eaten in a long time).

Emotional hunger can be strong, so it's easy to mistake it for physical hunger. But there are clues you can look for to help you differentiate between physical and emotional hunger.

Emotional hunger often leads to mindless eating. Before you know it, you've eaten an entire bag of chips or a liter of Ben and Jerry's without really paying attention or fully enjoying it. When you eat in response to physical hunger, you tend to be more aware of what you're doing.

Emotional hunger is not satisfied when you are full. You want to eat more and more and often until you feel uncomfortably full. Physical hunger, on the other hand, does not need to be satisfied. You are satisfied when your stomach is full.

Emotional hunger is not in the stomach. Instead of a growling stomach or a pang in your stomach, you feel your hunger as a craving that you can't get out of your head. You focus on specific textures, tastes and smells.

Emotional hunger often leads to regret, guilt, or shame. When you eat to satisfy physical hunger, you probably don't feel guilty or ashamed because you're simply giving your body what it needs. If you feel guilty after eating, it's probably because you know you're not eating for nutritional reasons.

Stress eating makes us resourceful.

I often hear from Fit4TheGamers: “It appeared out of nowhere”. But it is not. Quite the opposite!

As humans, we are fragile AND resourceful at the same time. We sometimes feel small and powerless, but at the same time we bravely manage to create new tools craftto compensate for this fragility and thus suppress unpleasant emotions.

In order to find an individual solution, you first have to deal with your motivation or triggers, namely: “Why do I eat when I’m actually not hungry?”

Let's try a little exercise...

Next time you feel yourself stress eating, stop yourself for a moment and say, "Oh, there it is again...that impulse...and I'm feeling one way or another."

If you're extremely lucky, this one question will slow you down enough to defend yourself against this attack.

But I also understand that it may be incredibly difficult for you to even stop yourself in such moments.

>> Your motivation or “why” please do not judge or question or try to justify.

>> Just notice: “Oh, I notice now, every time I have one of those Seizure “I feel stressed/sad/hurt/bored”.

>> You will probably quickly recognize a very clear trigger.

In coaching we call this a trigger, and if you can name your trigger, you are better able to counteract it.

Give your tool a name.

Here at Fit4TheGame we take nutritional advice seriously, but we also approach each individual holistically.

We know from thousands of hours of experience and research, this is much more important in helping you identify and address your triggers than writing you a plan to stick to never will hold.

Most emotional stress eating (or impulse eating) is associated with unpleasant feelings, but it can also be triggered by positive emotions, such as being rewarded for achieving a goal or celebrating a holiday or happy event.

Stress eaters use food to feel better, to satisfy emotional needs, rather than to satisfy physical hunger. You might reach for a liter of ice cream when you're feeling down, or order a pizza when you're bored or lonely.

My tool is called...

The plunger: We can use food as a plunger to suppress unpleasant emotions such as anger, loneliness, shame, or bitterness. We can use food to temporarily “numb” ourselves to these emotions.

The Void Dispeller: Do you eat on impulse, simply because you are bored or because you are missing something in your life and feel “empty”? For such people, food occupies the mouth and passes the time. It distracts them from feeling empty or pointless.

The Childhood Replacer: Think back to your childhood memories of food. Did your parents reward good behavior with ice cream, take you out for pizza when you got a good report card, or give you candy when you were sad? These habits can often carry over into adulthood. Or your eating may be driven by nostalgia – your memories of grilling burgers in the backyard with Dad or baking cookies with Mom.

The social “welding gun”: Meeting other people for a meal is a great way to relieve stress, but it can also lead to overeating. It's easy to eat too much simply because the food is there or because everyone else is eating. You can also overeat in social situations out of nervousness. Or your family or circle of friends encourages you to overeat and it's easier to go with a group.

The “stress blowtorch”: Ever seen how stress makes you hungry? It's not just in your head. When stress is chronic, as is often the case in our chaotic, fast-paced world, your body produces too high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol triggers cravings for salty, sweet, and fried foods - foods that give you a boost of energy and bring you joy. The more uncontrolled stress is in your life, the more likely you are to turn to food for emotional relief.

Find other ways to feed your feelings.

If you don't know how to manage your emotions in ways that don't involve food, you won't be able to control your eating habits for long. Diets often fail because they offer logical nutritional advice that only works if you consciously control your eating habits.

It doesn't work when emotions override the process and demand an immediate reward with food. To stop emotional eating, you need to find other ways to fulfill yourself emotionally.

It's not enough to understand the emotional eating cycle or even understand your triggers, although that's a great first step.

You need alternatives to food that you can turn to for emotional fulfillment.

If you don't know how to manage your emotions in ways that don't involve food, you won't be able to control your eating habits for long. Diets often fail because they offer logical nutritional advice that only works if you consciously control your eating habits.

It doesn't work when emotions override the process and demand an immediate reward with food. To stop emotional eating, you need to find other ways to fulfill yourself emotionally.

It's not enough to understand the emotional eating cycle or even understand your triggers, although that's a great first step.

You need alternatives to food that you can turn to for emotional fulfillment.

Alternatives to emotional eating.

When you're depressed or lonely, call someone who always makes you feel better, play with your dog or cat, or look at your favorite photo or treasured memento.

When you're exhausted, Treat yourself to a hot cup of tea, take a bath, light some scented candles, or wrap yourself in a warm blanket.

If you are bored, read a good book, watch a comedy show, explore nature, or do an activity you enjoy (woodworking, playing guitar, shooting hoops, scrapbooking, etc.).

Another suggestion would beto eat much more mindfully. Mindful eating is a practice that develops your awareness of eating habits and allows you to pause between your triggers and your actions.

Would you like to finally get your stress eating under control? Do you want to know how we can help you curb your stress impulses and achieve your fitness goals quickly and efficiently?

Book your free, non-binding introductory appointment now and get a blog reader discount worth €250.