Stress snacking

etcoyle12
etcoyle12 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 26 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi. When I'm stressed I start snacking and I can't seem to stop until I feel really full. I talked with someone which really helped me and I was doing better with eating only healthy small portion sized snacks. I was able to control my binge eating. However, the stress of school has overwhelmed me again and this bad habit has started again. I'm exercising and aware of the problem but I don't know how to break this cycle, which is also causing more weight gain. I'm open to any suggestions.

Replies

  • andreaen
    andreaen Posts: 365 Member
    I have the same problem for sure!

    First, I plan out my snacks. I know it will happen, so I plan it into my meals for the day to make sure I stay on top of my macros.

    I always keep sugar-free jell-o (I make my own with l-glutamine and gelatine) in the fridge and try to opt for things like tea and coffee when I feel a need to snack. That being said tea and coffee rarely does it for me, so I end up just planning snacks into my day when its at the worst. Diet soda sometimes help, but I try not to have more than one can per week.

    Another thing I often do is snack on cereal. I have this one sugary cereal with quite big pieces and I will let myself have 1 or two pieces when I feel a need to snack. For me it works since I can stop after 1 or 2 pieces, but if you know you can't I wouldn't reccomend this.

    Finally, the obvious fruit and vegetable snacks are also something I do frequently. And just getting the *kitten* out of my apartment!

  • mywayroche
    mywayroche Posts: 218 Member
    L-Theanine is a non-essential amino acid found naturally in tea. The Japanese have been adding it to their foods for 50 years and they have one of the lowest rates of anxiety in the world. Try decaf tea or a suppliment to manage the stress
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Stop snacking, stick to meals.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    To the above suggestions I'll add to learn some breathing exercises. It is almost stupid that something so simple can be so helpful to reduce stress.
  • SteamPug
    SteamPug Posts: 262 Member
    mywayroche wrote: »
    L-Theanine is a non-essential amino acid found naturally in tea. The Japanese have been adding it to their foods for 50 years and they have one of the lowest rates of anxiety in the world. Try decaf tea or a suppliment to manage the stress
    Not bad advice, but I think the jump between drinking tea and low anxiety rates is a little bit of a stretch :p
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    mywayroche wrote: »
    L-Theanine is a non-essential amino acid found naturally in tea. The Japanese have been adding it to their foods for 50 years and they have one of the lowest rates of anxiety in the world. Try decaf tea or a suppliment to manage the stress

    https://examine.com/supplements/theanine/
  • jenna_nicolo
    jenna_nicolo Posts: 62 Member
    If you know you're doing it and why you're doing that, you've already got significant insight into the problem. When your stress is high and you feel cravings kick in, or a rush of anxiety you feel food will be able to calm, you may need to consciously redirect your focus away from food. It's just a habit, and like most habits it can be broken - like biting your nails. Go for a walk, journal, sketch or paint, something that requires focus might be preferable.

    If you're still hungry after you've calmed down maybe you do need a snack, in which case I would just see how many calories I have left for the day and budget a snack in; no harm no foul. Hang in there.
  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
    Grab an apple and an ounce of cheese (that you weighed out on a food scale, ideally) and enjoy the snack. If you're still wanting to put things in your mouth, make some air-popped popcorn (avoid microwave popcorn, it's very high calorie). Take a 20 or 30 minute walk; it'll help you clear your head and improve your ability to focus on your studying, and it will keep you away from the refrigerator. Grab an entire package of celery and dip it into a pre-measured amount of peanut butter, like allow yourself 2 tablespoons and when you're finished with that, eat the rest of the celery until you're over your anxiety or boredom, or you find you're tired of it. Make yourself some hot tea and spend 5 minutes away from your books and just relax for a bit. Drink more water.
  • batlover1
    batlover1 Posts: 2 Member
    I have the exact same problem! And I mean EXACT! I was taking Elementary Algebra and it made my brain hurt. I am looking forward to reading everyone's solutions. Hang in there! You're not alone!!

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I doubt the anxiety rates in Japan. And if tea is the cure-all, shouldn’t we see the same anxiety reductions in Britain?

    I suggest you figure out the triggers, times and places you over eat and disrupt the patterns. For instance if you study in a place with poor access to snacks (like a library) that should be enough to disrupt the pattern.

    I checked anxiety rates. Vietnam is a star. It’s still a stretch to decide it’s diet related.


    http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/254610/WHO-MSD-MER-2017.2-eng.pdf;jsessionid=1360775E37FD8DC841CD4BC177ACC1C2?sequence=1
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