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EAT
right
Tips for dealing with
stress eating behaviours
1. Keep a food journal – A food journal can really help
you see what triggers your stress eating. Whenever you
feel the need to eat, make a note of how hungry you are
on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = I’m faint with hunger; 10 = I’m so
stuffed I have to loosen my clothing).
2. Own up to your feelings – You know that emotions are
the trigger for your stress eating, so why not acknowledge
them? It’s okay to be mad or lonely or bored sometimes.
The feelings may be unpleasant but not dangerous.
3. Work on your coping skills – When stress strikes, try
asking yourself, “What’s the worst thing that will happen if
I don’t eat?” Yes, your stress level might rise a bit, but the
feeling will pass. Practice tolerating your emotions.
4. Find alternatives to eating – Take a few moments to
reflect on your feelings and think of ways you can solve
your problem. Make a list of things you can do instead of
eating, like walking, listening to music or meditating.
5. Unlearn your bad habits – Emotional eaters continually
reinforce the idea that the best way to treat negative
emotions is with food. And like other bad habits, stress
eating happens before you’ve even had a chance to think
about it. So, you need to “un-learn” your bad habits and
practice doing something other than eating when a bad
day strikes.
6. Wait it out – Stress eaters are often afraid that if they
don’t satisfy the urge to eat, the craving will just get worse.
But when they practice delaying tactics, they’re often
surprised that the urge simply passes.
TODAY 15