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Want to stop stress eating? Stop calling it that

Want to stop stress eating? Stop calling it that

By calling it stress eating, you are justifying your unhealthy eating behaviour.

Written by Sandhya Raghavan |Published : December 7, 2017 11:53 AM IST

Emotional eating is one of the knee-jerk reactions to stress. The moment we experience a little bit of mental strain, we seek refuge in sugary, salty and carb-laden foods. Until recently, we thought we are the only animals to do so. But recent research suggests that stress eating is seen in domestic animals too. During moments of prolonged stress, we experience a shift in our food choices. We gravitate towards more palatable and pleasurable foods, which make us feel good. After all, why would anyone want to eat salads when they are feeling miserable? It's natural for us to crave something delicious, crispy, fatty and decadent when we are down in the dumps. The psychology behind stress eating is quite simple: We eat so that we feel better.

That's probably when we tend to put on weight when we take on a stressful job or go through upheavals in our personal lives. The need for emotional comfort makes us dial the nearest pizza place and order the largest, cheesiest pizza. Many a time, we acknowledge that our binge eating stems from deep, emotional distress. And under normal emotional health, we may not have demolished the entire pizza meant for four single-handedly and shamelessly. But it is always great to acknowledge a problem. However, in my own experience, I have seen that the acknowledgement backfires.

I have noticed how my colleagues behave during stressful times at work. We tend to crave more junk food and caffeine than ever before. But when we acknowledge that it is stress that is making us do it, we tend to give in more to our impulses. It becomes easy for us to justify our bad eating habits by calling it 'stress eating.' We almost forget that stress eating is unnatural. Read these expert tips to beat stress.

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The trick is to stop normalising the behaviour and thinking that you have no power over your own eating habits. Eating under duress doesn't mean that the calories aren't going to matter. Even when you are stressed, your body treats extra calories in the same way it would otherwise. And even more worryingly, stress also makes you accumulate more fat more than you would normally do. By calling it stress eating, we are unknowingly giving ourselves the license to indulge without the fear of consequences. Some people even lead themselves to believe that if you are craving for carbs, your body probably needs them. Going by that logic, if the body starts craving for the nutrients it is deficient in, you'd probably never face any deficiencies ever. Find out what your cravings actually mean and how to fix it.

While it is important to call a spade a spade, we should also remember that merely identifying your problem wouldn't do. You have to tell yourself that emotional eating is unnatural and your reaction to stress is unhealthy. That way, when you crave for sugary or fried foods, try your best to resist it and settle for healthy foods instead. If it is sweets that you feel you, eat dried or fresh fruits. Here are some ways in which you could control emotional eating.

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