I am confident that you have heard the term "comfort food". It is food we really should not eat but do in the face of daily stressors and challenges. These include foods such as ice cream, chips, cakes, candy, high amounts of breads, etc. Eaten excessively, they are not healthy for us and usually result in weight gain. Estimates of the amount of money spent on weight loss products and services have been in the range of $20 - $60 billion dollars per year. There are numerous television programs on the topic such as the "Biggest Loser". Yet, many people continue to struggle with weight management. One of the forces driving problems in weight management is our response to stressful situations. In my recent co-authored book ("I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress So It Doesn't Manage You", Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., P.H.N.), we discussed this issue of managing stressors to help manage weight. By the way, the book is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. If more information about the authors and book is desired, please go to the book website at http://www.manageyourhealthandstress.com/ where there are bonus materials as well. Here is an excerpt on this topic from the book:
So, is the deck stacked against you in fighting the battle of stress management and weight management? What can you do to maximize proper weight management, even when you are stressed? Fortunately, there are some ideas which flow from the challenges identified above:
1. Engage in stress reduction strategies such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and progressive muscle relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation was discussed in an earlier chapter. All of these strategies encourage you to focus on your own immediate reality, pay better attention to your physical self, and reduce worry and anxiety.
2. Get your proper rest and sleep. Avoid overeating in the evening or consuming stimulating beverages such as coffee and caffeinated beverages, and use stress reduction strategies as discussed above.
3. Get your proper exercise. Don't skip your workouts. As discussed in an earlier chapter, exercise can decrease cortisol and trigger the release of chemicals that relieve pain and improve mood. It can also help speed your metabolism so you burn off whatever you may have eaten. If you have not recently been exercising, consult your physician before starting a new program.
4. Become more aware of what you are eating. This is sometimes referred to as mindful eating. Mindfulness is an increasing awareness by paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, to things around you as they are. Books are written on this topic alone. For our purposes here, more mindful eating involves paying attention to what you are eating, slowing down eating, attending to the feelings of fullness, and avoiding emotional overeating. One way to reduce emotional overeating is to focus on the future, rather than on the present, when inclined to eat comfort foods. Research has shown that when focusing on the future, people make healthier choices in foods.
5. Develop pleasant activities unrelated to food and eating. Take a walk, read a book, increase your socialization with family and friends. These can help you relieve stress without overeating; but you say that you don't have time with all your stressors. Making and taking the time to do so will help you relieve stress. When you have lowered your stress levels, you will have better mental focus and will feel happier. Then you will be unlikely to overeat.
6. Reward yourself for achieving weight loss goals. It is important that you enjoy all the small successes on your way to your goals. As in any good goal setting program, you can/should establish intermediate weight loss steps. When you reach one, reward yourself with a night out, a movie, or something enjoyable that won’t disrupt your program. This will help you keep momentum.
7. Check yourself for proper mindset. As we always say, “Become more aware of what you say to yourself about yourself.” If you have too many thoughts like, "I can't handle my stresses;" "I'm overwhelmed;" or "I'll never get out from under what is stressing me;" then it's time for a mindset do-over. As we discussed in detail, in Chapter 7, on thinking your way past stress, challenge the above thoughts and remind yourself how many times you in fact have handled stressors. Remember that help is available in many forms. Keeping negative thoughts in your mind will also result in your reaching for comfort foods, with all the additional problems that this will cause. Overeating is not inevitable in the face of life pressures.
There is plenty of hope with the right strategies and mindset. Good luck in your life journey.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For additional information on these and related topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com.