Does anybody else eat due to stress?

nmlt13
nmlt13 Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
Lately I've noticed that I eat horribly (no portion control, lots of junk food) only when I'm stressed about something. Anyone else?
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Replies

  • Chuckempire
    Chuckempire Posts: 44
    I do
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    "High cortisol reactors consumed more calories on the stress day compared to low reactors, but ate similar amounts on the control day. In terms of taste preferences, high reactors ate significantly more sweet food across days. Increases in negative mood in response to the stressors were also significantly related to greater food consumption. These results suggest that psychophysiological response to stress may influence subsequent eating behavior."

    Stress may add bite to appetite in women: a laboratory study of stress-induced cortisol and eating behavior

    * Elissa Epela, * Rachel Lapidusb,* Bruce McEwenc* Kelly Brownellb

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453000000354

    Keep in mind that correlation was observed in "high cortisol reactors" (correlation does not prove causality) but the research would suggest that there may be a link, in some people from a hormonal point of view, between stress and eating.
  • jlm_getfit
    jlm_getfit Posts: 53 Member
    Yes! That's one of the reasons I've gained so much weight, especially over the past year. But last week I said "enough is enough", I found my mojo, my willpower and the drive to change myself back to who I was pre-pregnancy (4 years ago). I started MFP, eating so much healthier, stopped drinking alcohol, started working out again and I'm getting more sleep. Most of important of all though, if something stresses me out I DON'T eat to solve/relieve the problem because in the end I am only stressing myself out more, which hurts my body and mind. Good luck to you finding your own mojo!
  • Skyflier83
    Skyflier83 Posts: 34
    I've found that lack of sleep is what tips me over the edge... I've been so tired over the past few days that I haven't had any discipline. From tomorrow I'm back on the wagon (again!)
  • jbahrami
    jbahrami Posts: 206 Member
    Oh yes, yes, and YES! I'm a huge stress eater...and I hate it. Over the past 6 months or so, I've really tried to put a lid on it and do something physically active to take my mind off of eating when I'm stressed out, but when I'm at work, it makes it very difficult. Lack of sleep is also a culprit for me as well...
  • Sugarchef
    Sugarchef Posts: 319 Member
    I am a walking hot mess of stress and have been eating everything in sight! It's getting bad.
  • mandasimba
    mandasimba Posts: 782 Member
    I eat for stress... and sadness... and boredom... and happiness, excietment, confusion, sleepyness... when I'm angry, worried, unhappy, sick, scared...

    An emotional eater at its finest, and the love handles will agree :drinker:
  • EvEboEvie
    EvEboEvie Posts: 115 Member
    I am a stress eater. No question about that. I'm working on my habits and coping skills so that I have different go-tos other than food, when I go through difficult times.
  • katB_83
    katB_83 Posts: 41 Member
    I used to do that, i suffered quite badly from stress and depression last year and found myself just eating and eating. To be honest thats why I am on here now, as I can monitor everything that I am eating it gives me back some of the control I lost.

    Everyone does it to some extent, its our way of comforting ourself and feeling better, just try to do it sensibly, i wish I had.
  • green_king
    green_king Posts: 16 Member
    Yes!!
  • Grace619
    Grace619 Posts: 28 Member
    Oh yes. Trying to quit that. Had a slip just yesterday & found myself opening a brand new bag of barbeque chips & eating several before I could stop myself. hey...at least I stopped myself.... :)
  • Buttercupmcgee
    Buttercupmcgee Posts: 95 Member
    I've found that lack of sleep is what tips me over the edge... I've been so tired over the past few days that I haven't had any discipline. From tomorrow I'm back on the wagon (again!)

    Yes! The largely unsung catalyst of epic crap eating.
  • christina0089
    christina0089 Posts: 709 Member
    I eat for stress... and sadness... and boredom... and happiness, excietment, confusion, sleepyness... when I'm angry, worried, unhappy, sick, scared...

    An emotional eater at its finest, and the love handles will agree :drinker:

    And this is me as well!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
    Yep, and it's much worse now since I'm trying to quit smoking. It's really hard sometimes to say no to certain things..
  • misalillstead
    misalillstead Posts: 407 Member
    ::raises her hand:: Big stress eater... Like yesterday! Had a bad day at work and ate 5 cookies as soon as I got home. Didn't miss a beat.
  • chrissismone
    chrissismone Posts: 116 Member
    I use to alot..but now I just don't eat when I'm stressed..I went a day without eating on Saturday..not a good thing.
  • sjebert
    sjebert Posts: 212 Member
    That is the biggest thing I have had to overcome, that and mindless eating while sitting at my desk.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    I've found that lack of sleep is what tips me over the edge... I've been so tired over the past few days that I haven't had any discipline. From tomorrow I'm back on the wagon (again!)

    ^^THIS
  • MsRoxyPepper
    MsRoxyPepper Posts: 109 Member
    I have definitely been an stress eater, but with more awareness and drive, I take my stress out in my workouts. a good intense workout with meditative stretching afterwards has help immensely
  • regina2063
    regina2063 Posts: 203 Member
    say what? im eating frito lays potato chips right now.....but dont tell anybody....ha ha
  • mellynat
    mellynat Posts: 345 Member
    am actually the opposite. If I"m stressed out I feel worse if I eat. I can go with water and my coffee all day if the level of stress is high...
  • SlimSammy2012
    SlimSammy2012 Posts: 893
    The GF dumped me last week and the urge to eat 10 pizzas, two gallons of Ice Cream and 10 lbs of French Fries! But, I ain't gonna do it! Can't wait to see her face when I get the Hot Bod and she can't have none!
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
    yep, yep. It is why I am here in the first place. I have always been in great shape, then I went back to school, got mega stressed out and coped with alcohol and food. Led to 25 pounds in about a year.

    Keeping the binges in check has been a huge battle for me as far as weight loss goes.
  • Kekibird
    Kekibird Posts: 1,122 Member
    Yeah although stress in large quantities can make me lose my appetite too.
  • SlimSammy2012
    SlimSammy2012 Posts: 893
    Yeah although stress in large quantities can make me lose my appetite too.

    <~~~Needs a pair of those Stockings!!
  • emilyhawarah
    emilyhawarah Posts: 34
    I stress eat every time I am in the same room as my mom or my ex-husband. It sucks.
  • AmyEm3
    AmyEm3 Posts: 784 Member
    I eat for stress... and sadness... and boredom... and happiness, excietment, confusion, sleepyness... when I'm angry, worried, unhappy, sick, scared...

    An emotional eater at its finest, and the love handles will agree :drinker:

    Ahh, you're my twin.
  • thinmintme
    thinmintme Posts: 63 Member
    Usually stress and the accompanying depression puts me off food entirely. I'm usually too absorbed in the negativity to bother with anything more. I'll eat but...not much...
    On the flipside, when I'm super, duper happy and I'm with family/friends/etc having a good time, I throw caution to the wind, eat what I like (not gorge, mind you) and don't bother with calories until the day is done.

    Not sure which is worse. :o
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    Yes, I am an emotional eater. If I am feeling tired, bored or even happy sometimes, I turn to the sweet and carb filled foods, and it can be very, very hard to resist buying them somedays.
  • JanetLM73
    JanetLM73 Posts: 1,226 Member
    That's how I became overweight, I started having annxiety attacks, so I ate and ate. Then my daughter was born with a birth defect that required major surgery at 10 months old, so I ate for 10 months straight dealing with the "what if" questions, then she needed another surgery 6 months ago at almost age 5.....so once she was all healed I decided that I needed to focus on me, and that's what I did.

    I still eat when I get stressed out, but I don't eat chips or pizza or anything like that. I make healthy choices.

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