Stress has the ability to curtail your efforts to keep your healthy eating on track.
During prolonged stressful situations your body craves fatty, sugar-filled foods often known as “comfort foods.” These foods work to temporarily make you feel better. Thus, your body wants more and you end up eating way more than you normally would.
In the long run, this becomes a vicious cycle and prohibits you from making the transformations you desire.
How do you avoid stress-induced overeating?
Meditate
Meditation allows you to alleviate stress by calming your body down. Meditation encourages relaxation helping you to combat the negative effects that stress has on your body. Therefore, when you’re feeling stressed, instead of reaching for unhealthy foods, take time to confront your stress through meditation.
Practice Mindful Eating
Practicing mindful eating will help you avoid stress eating and empower you to make healthy, positive food choices. Taking the time to reflect on the choices you’re making and slow down your eating process enables you to stay in control and avoid overeating.
Address the Stressful Issue
One of the most important factors that will help you avoid making negative food choices is to address whatever it is that is causing you stress directly. If you deal with the issue at hand, you will be less likely to rely on comforting yourself through overeating.
Exercise
Exercise does wonders to oppose the negative effects of stress. Exercise releases endorphins that essentially release positivity into your body. Exercise will help you avoid the urge to overeat and keep you on track to accomplish your health goals. For further benefit, combat stress by exercising outdoors or by trying a new, exciting activity. This will help you relieve stress and keep you focused on your goals.
Don’t let stress get you down; keep yourself on track to transforming your body!