How to stop stress eating when you're stuck at home

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) - Being locked down at home this past year in closer proximity to food and with unlimited access to the kitchen has been a problem for those struggling with stress and stress eating.

This often leads to eating without feeling satisfied or not even remembering what you ate. If this sounds familiar, our health expert, Karen Owoc, is here with some tips to control stress eating.

Stress Eating Fast Facts

Stress eaters often eat when they’re not hungry. Eating is triggered by stress or other strong emotions, not physiological hunger.

People who eat when they're stressed often eat FAST, which contributes to “dietary amnesia” and more calories consumed.

• Dietary amnesia occurs when you eat, and you don't realize how much you ate, whether you're satisfied, or if you even ate.

A study found that men who ate fast were fatter than men who ate slowly. They also found men eat faster than women:

• Men ate 80 calories per minute.

• Women ate 52 calories per minute.

To lose weight, slow down.

Strategies to Stop Stress Eating

1. Be aware that you’re doing it. Stress eating is often a lifelong behavior and you don’t even realize you’re using food as a way to cope.

2. Calm down to slow speed eating. Exercise for 3 minutes to release endorphins.

3. Address the stress. Resolve what’s causing the stress.

4. Pay attention to what you’re eating, i.e., “eating mindfully”.

What Does “Eating Mindfully” Mean?

• Mindfulness means paying attention.

• Notice what you’re eating — the taste, color, aroma, and textures of the food.

• Pay attention to what’s going into your mouth, i.e., using all of your senses when eating. Eating is a full sensory experience.

Tips to Eat Mindfully

1. Turn off distractions (e.g., TV, computer, phone) and focus on your food.

2. Allow more time to eat. Avoid eating on the run (another form of distracted

eating).

3. Stop, breathe, reflect. STOP the behavior, and breath deeply to calm down and quiet the mind and body before eating. Reflect on WHY you’re eating.

• Are you physically hungry?

• Are you angry, lonely, tired, bored, anxious, depressed?

4. Create ambiance in the room, at the table, and sit down. Don’t eat standing by the fridge or pantry. Adjust lighting, set a nice table w/ flowers (bring nature inside).

5. Use smaller utensils, weighted utensils [DEMO], or chopsticks to slow down and savor every bite.

6. Sip water between bites, but be sure to wait to drink your fluids AFTER you've swallowed, so you’re not "gulping down" your food

7. Avoid high-fructose corn syrup to prevent overeating.

• A UCSF study found that consuming too much high-fructose corn syrup interfered with leptin (a key appetite hormone that tells you you've had enough to eat).

8. Add hot sauce, wasabi, and fiery spices. You'll drink more water, slow down, and pay more attention to textures and flavors.

The Takeaway: Stress eating is not a behavior that’s easy to change if it’s been a lifelong way to cope with stress. With awareness and steady practice, the brain can form a new habit. It not only gets easier, you’ll lose weight, and eating becomes more

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