I stress ate… now what?

First things first – pause and take a nice, long, deep breath… and, another one for good measure. 

Feeling a little better?

It is common knowledge by now that unfortunately, no one is immune to stress, especially over the past couple of years. However, it is also important to know that you are unique in your own stressors, how stress shows up in your body, and how you best choose to address it. And, spoiler alert - food can 100% be a healthy coping mechanism (but it shouldn’t be the only one!).

How stress shows up in our bodies

Let’s dig a little deeper to better understand how stress may be showing up in the body. The two main ways stress can present are acute (short-term events), or chronic (long-term, or even a repeated series of acute events over time). These are important to differentiate because each type is unique in how the body responds.

Acute stress was more commonly used centuries ago as an essential biological survival mechanism – it got our bodies prepared to “fight” or “flee” a potentially life-threatening situation! Cortisol and adrenaline were sent to turn on the response: a racing heartbeat and increased blood pressure to redirect blood flow to fuel the muscles, heart, and brain, as well as increased blood sugar within the body to meet the “fight” or “flight” energy needs. 

Our day-to-day life looks a little bit different than it did some time ago. For example, acute stressors may not be prepping to fight a lion - but instead prepping for a big exam or that important job interview. Well, the body responds in the same way, pumping out cortisol and adrenaline, which can serve as useful to increase concentration and productivity if we have the tools in our toolbox to recognize and manage that response. 

Chronic stress is much more common now as these acute stressors can add up over time. When these add up without pause and acknowledgement, the key regulator of stress – the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis – becomes dysregulated. And, you guessed it, this dysregulation also affects our appetite-related hormones, especially under continued periods of acute stress. Think about how stress shows up in your body, how do you physically feel?

Why do we turn to food in times of stress?

Eating is a form of self-care, and if you are not caring for yourself in other ways, your body will crave the dopamine reaction experienced when eating some of your favorite foods. Your body will also want to prolong that feel-good experience. Reflect upon a stressful day of work, where eating may be the only time you get to escape from your desk. While food might provide that short-term relief, the problem is that it cannot manage all the stress that comes your way. There needs to be other tools in your toolbox. Think about your own day, how else do you take care of yourself? If you are having trouble answering this question and find yourself continually caught in the stress-eat-guilt cycle, there is nothing to feel guilty about – keep reading for some tips that may help!

Four Steps to Managing the Stress Spiral

1. Acknowledge

Acknowledging that you may have stress eaten, or that this occurs regularly for you is the first step to increase awareness that something deeper may be going on. It can be difficult sometimes to tell the difference between physical and emotional hunger, and while both are valid reasons to eat, it is important to recognize the intention behind the action. If you’ve coped with a certain emotion with food, that is okay! Your body is smart and will be just fine. There is already enough to stress about, and you do not need to add food to that list – this will only continue restrictive patterns perpetuating the stress cycle. Once you have acknowledged that it happened, you can reflect on how you are feeling. 

2. Reflect

Reflecting upon questions such as: “What may be the cause of my stress at this moment? Is this short-term stress, or long-term? Could there be another emotional need I am not meeting?”

Identifying the cause(s) of your current stress brings in further self-awareness – it could be something you have control over changing, or it might be a larger situation you may not have control over. However, what you do have control over is how you are showing up for yourself in these moments. 

3. Brainstorm

Brainstorming other ways you can show up and take care of yourself means you can turn to this list the next time you notice you are feeling stressed – this will look different for everyone! Pull out your notes app on your phone, or a piece of paper and pen, and start drafting a list of easy, realistic things that bring you joy, calm, and make you feel good. Ideas to get you started could include - meditation, yoga, calling a friend, getting outside, lighting a candle, listening to your favorite music, reading a book, journaling… etc.! Food can also be on this list, but this way, you have already expanded your toolbox. 

 4. Pause

When stress pops up again, because it will, remember to pause. And breathe. This allows the time and space needed to remember that feel-good list and reflect upon what you might truly need in that moment, knowing that food is always an option if another action does not help. Then, if food is what you need within that moment, choose what you believe will be most satisfying, enjoy it, notice how your body is feeling, and leave the guilt behind.  

This is a lot to take in! Be patient with yourself as you learn to discover what actions help you feel best – don’t fall prey to the comparison game. Each person and situation is unique, and only you know yourself best!

References:

https://time.com/5347612/how-to-stop-stress-eating/

Yau, Y. H., & Potenza, M. N. (2013). Stress and eating behaviors. Minerva endocrinologica, 38(3), 255–267.

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Written by Tori Rinsem

Hi, I’m Tori! Current NYC-based master’s student, dietetic intern and RD-to-be. I love finding the joy and ditching the stress in two things we do each day - eat and move! I’m SO happy to be sharing this space with you, and continuing to find joy as we learn and grow. 

Learn more about me and the HSH offerings here.