How to stop overeating: tips to reduce stress eating
Cassandra Padgett
If you frequently find yourself overeating to the point of feeling sick and would like to stop, but feel out of control, keep reading!
Tip one: Eat up (the right foods)
As busy moms, it’s easy to let time slip by between meals and then feel HUNGRY and overeat. While it may seem counterintuitive, EATING more (of the right foods) can actually prevent you from getting over-hungry and then overeating.
But the key is eating the RIGHT things. A high protein diet with lots of fiber (think: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, etc.) can help keep you satisfied between meals. Highly processed foods (think: chips, crackers, muffins, etc.) will not fill you up for long at all -even if they are high in calories.
Wondering how to increase protein intake?
High protein foods include meats, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and vegetarian options like lentils or soy beans. For simple protein options, I love using rotisserie chicken, protein shakes, cottage cheese cups, and lunch meat.
Tip two: Managing stress + feeling your feelings instead of numbing
Managing stress is the second key factor in reducing overeating or stress eating. If you frequently overeat when feeling stressed out (hello motherhood) you are not alone. It’s easy to “treat” yourself at the end of a hard day, but doing this on the daily will only lead to feeling like crap.
Stress management looks different for everyone, but a few proven ways include the following:
walk or physical activity
meditation or a few minutes of quiet
journaling it all out is surprisingly effective
therapy
true self-care— alone time, time with friends, time to tend to your own needs
reading - quiet, relaxation sans screen
reducing social media/news intake
Remember, none of these tools will take away the feeling of stress/anxiety/etc. You will need to learn to allow the feeling without numbing it with food.
Uncomfortable feelings do not last forever… most pass quickly, and they for sure pass quicker when you notice and feel the feeling (I.e. what does it feel like in your body? Pressure or heaviness? Is it hot or cold? Do you want to cry? Scream?
Allow it, name it, sit with it. Set a timer, and wait 20 minutes before reaching for food. Getting used to sitting with your emotions will allow you to drastically reduce emotional eating.
And even if emotional eating feels good in the moment, there is STILL discomfort in the form of bloating/physical pain, dealing with weight gain, etc.
Ready to break up with emotional eating for good?? Sick of trying alll the diets? Download my free ebook below!