Jon Stanton

What is it about stress and/or boredom that causes us to want to eat? Most people who struggle with weight fall into one or both of these camps. I DEFINITELY fall into the "boredom" camp, and as for "emotional eating," I would have never thought that was the case before, but I am discovering that stress does seem to trigger my appetite.

Actually, scientists have discovered that chemicals that are released by our bodies when we are under stress contribute to weight gain and cause us to want to eat more. It's that whole "fight/flight" thing that's been wired into human DNA. Being in a consistently "stressed out" state will cause your body to crave carbohydrates (quick energy releasers) and hold on to fat (in case you are really lost in the desert or something like that).

Combatting emotional eating and stress is difficult, and everyone's situation is different. I can only share my perspective in the hope that what works for me may work for you also. Let me begin by saying I have by no means mastered combatting emotional eating. If you were a fly on the wall at my house this past weekend, you would know that for sure!

The best way I've found for combatting emotional eating is to exercise. I know that probably sounds crazy if you are a really stressed out person, because the last thing you probably feel like doing is exercising. However, exercise relieves stress, releases endorphins that improve your mood and suppress your appetite, and burns calories. If I find myself stressed out and wanting to attack the refrigerator because of it, I often head out the door and take a long walk, or fight the urges until I get to the gym.

"Boredom" eating is easier, I think, to conquer than emotional eating. The best way to combat boredom eating is to not be bored! DUH! OK, so that sounds overly simplistic, but what I mean by that is stay busy if you tend to be prone to boredom or boredom eating. I admit, it's rare for me to be "bored," because my life is so crazy-busy all the time, but I do have some moments (usually in the evening) when I don't have anything that "must be done" and that's when my mind wanders to what may be lurking in my kitchen.

There are a few different things I do to combat these urges. First, I try to live by a "the kitchen is closed after dinner" mindset. That simply means that once I've eaten my evening meal, cleaned up and turned out the kitchen light - that's it, no more visits to the kitchen. Second, I stay busy. For me, that usually means exercising (take a walk, ride my bike, etc.), working on the computer, reading, playing the piano, or cleaning some messy corner of my house. I'm not much of a TV watcher, and I've discovered that if I do sit down in front of the TV, that usually leads to boredom, and my mind wanders to the fridge, so I generally don't watch TV in the evenings. Third, I may call a friend or go visit somebody. I think we Americans hole ourselves up in our houses too much anymore anyhow, so this is one way of avoiding boredom eating and helping build community at the same time. Last, if I really do feel "hungry," I'll generally drink something calorie-free, such as tea, coffee, or a diet soda or beverage. This usually turns off the hunger receptors.

Bottom line? Ffind what works for you! We're all different, so my ideas may not seem at all plausible for you or your lifestyle. Just remember - NO EXCUSES! You must work past all of the "reasons" you have developed to justify emotional/boredom eating and find a set of solutions that works for you! Also, please remember that when you do slip, don't beat yourself up. I had a very rough weekend recently, and I REALLY missed the mark when it came to what I ate. It's useless to focus on that now, though, because it's not like I can go back and fix it. What I can do is evaluate what "triggered" my failure and take steps in the future so it doesn't happen again. Good luck, and please let me know what works for you. Click on the "post a comment" link and send me your list of ideas. I'll compile a list of responses so we can all work on this together!