Why Am I Eating This? Causes of Stress Eating

Many things in life will cause your stress to rise. Often, your response to this stress is to grab a snack. This is one of the most diagnosed responses to stress. Adults often admit that this has become a habit. Stress eating can have many negative health effects such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It is important to understand stress eating and how to overcome this habit. We must also remember that we were not created to worry.

So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34, NASB

The cause of stress-eating

Stress-eating is nothing new. It has been a way of coping with stress for many people. While it is caused by stress, other factors can be attributed to stress eating. When you are feeling overwhelmed by anger, fear, or other emotions related to situations this can produce an increase in cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone of our bodies. It can increase glucose, determine how our bodies use this glucose, and reduce inflammation.

When our bodies are stressed, cortisol is released. Cortisol also releases another hormone, ghrelin, that is linked to an increase in our appetites. This is the hormone responsible for our increased appetite during stressful times. The most common craving is carbohydrates which explains why we want those sweets when we are stressed and not hungry.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7, NASB

Signs of stress-eating

One of the most common signs of stress-eating is that you are always grabbing that favorite food when you face a difficult situation. You grab the cupcakes because it will help you feel better about the situation. For a little bit, you find relief from the worry, but then it is back, and you are standing at the fridge again. The situation commonly causes us to be sad or hurt. There are times, however, that the stress is due to concern about a life event.

Any combination of these signs may indicate that you are struggling with stress-eating:

• Sudden need for a snack.
• Showing signs of impatience when trying to find a snack.
• There are specific foods that are craved.
• Eating at an unusual time.
• Eating more than normal.
• Feeling guilty after eating.
• A significant increase in weight.

Stress can also cause some people to ignore their hunger and not eat at all. These people tend to ignore hunger cues because they are so focused on the situation.

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2, NASB

The effects of stress-eating

As with any coping mechanism, we can cause lifelong effects on our bodies by stress eating. Just as smoking and alcohol have lasting effects, reaching for that special comfort snack can cause health issues.

The leading effect of eating in response to coping with stress is obesity. This health issue is then related to many other issues such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Unhealthy eating habits during stressful times are the leading cause of some chronic health problems that we face today. Stress-eating can also lead to fatigue. All these physical health issues can affect our mental health. When we see these effects, we can become overridden with guilt.

How do I overcome stress-eating?

Eating in response to stress can become a habit. This habit can be changed. To overcome the urge to grab a snack you will have to make a conscious choice not to reach for the comfort food. Here are some steps to take that can help you battle this negative response to stress.

The LORD will fight for you, while you keep silent. – Exodus 14:14, NASB

Make time for prayer

The best way to battle stress is to create a time of prayer. We are instructed many times to not be afraid or worry about anything. We can take our concerns and fears to God. He is always listening. When we pray it gives our body a way to release the tension and find the solitude of being in a quiet place with our Savior.

Keep a snack log.

Begin by keeping a record of what you have been reaching for and consuming. Try to create a way to evaluate your hunger and whether it is true hunger or stress craving. This will help you connect your eating habits with your stress level.

Change your thinking

When you continuously focus on the situation that is causing you to be stressed, you will continue to respond according to your ingrained thinking. To change this response, you must change the focus. This means that you look for the positive in any situation. There are always good thoughts that can replace stressful thoughts.

Recognize how it is affecting your body

Taking inventory of the changes in your physical health during this stressful time will allow you to note the effects stress-eating is having on your body. You will also find out how this has caused changes in your mental health.

Make a new meal plan

It’s not always easy to create a meal plan that will stick. If you can learn to choose healthy replacements for unhealthy snacks, then you are taking the first step. When you decide to make a meal plan to counteract unhealthy eating, you are creating a way for your body to overcome some of the effects of stress-eating. This is not a diet plan but rather a meal plan that introduces healthy foods in place of snacks.

Redirect your focus

While this may sound a lot like changing your thinking, it is not the same thing. Redirecting your focus is the act of deciding to change what you are doing to remove focusing on the stressful situation. This could be as simple as sitting down with your Bible and writing out some scriptures in a journal. Being creative can bring you to a more relaxed state and reduce the effects of stress.

Using Scripture as encouragement

When you have decided to change your focus from stress to finding peace the best way is to use God’s Word. There are so many helpful verses that you can write on notecards. Placing these notecards on the fridge or pantry door will help keep you focused on the change that you desire to make. Here are some great thought processes and Scriptures to help you overcome stress-eating.

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. – James 1: 2-4, NASB

Know that even in stressful times, good things are being accomplished.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6, NASB

Trust God in all things.

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your comfort delights my soul. – Psalm 94:19, NASB

When the stress is overwhelming, God is there.

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. – Psalm 55:22, NASB

Leave all your worries with God.

Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad. – Proverbs 12:25, NASB

Lighten the stress by reading God’s Word.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! – 2 Thessalonians 3:16, NASB

The Holy Spirit will always bring peace.

Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful. – John 14:27, NASB

There is no peace like the peace of Jesus.

And which of you by worrying can add a day to his life’s span? Therefore if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about the other things? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither labor nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. – Luke 12:25-27, NASB

There is nothing that worry will fix. Only God can take care of it all.

Next step

If you feel that you are unable to overcome stress-eating, feel free to reach out. I am a Christian counselor and I would love to work with you to help you assess the issue and create a faith-based plan to help you overcome the issues that are causing you to create unhealthy eating habits.