CONTRACT 9 - CONQUER YOUR DIFFICULT SITUATIONS

ARE YOU A STRESS EATER?

Do you notice that under times of stress you eat more than you usually do?  The reason? It’s your body’s way of providing you with the extra energy and vitamins/minerals to fight the mental and emotional draining caused by the stress.  So, your body physiologically craves food during your stressful times. Psychologically, you may crave the comfort that food provides during difficult stressful periods.  Whether physiologically or psychologically, the following can help you control the calories you take in and provide foods for your mood.  If you are stressed out, or know you will be going through a difficult time, here are some tips that will help you.

Try to refrain from allowing yourself to get hungry.  Eat 5 small meals per day instead of skipping meals and just eating 1 high fat/calorie fast food meal.

Often when you are ‘stress out’ you don’t have time to eat.  Then you grab a high fat and calorie fast food meal and scarf it down.  If you eat throughout the day, you probably won’t be as hungry later in the day.  Plan to have food on hand so you won’t need to stop at fast food places to eat. 

Keep high carbohydrate foods that are low in fat on hand.  Make these foods quick and easy to grab, but keep the foods in portion control. 

·        For example, purchase bags of snacks in vending machine sizes.  You can find a variety of foods at the grocery store.  Here are some of the items you can find:  animal crackers, pretzels, Teddy grahams, red licorice.

·        If you can’t find individual serving sizes, make you own.  Buy a package of pretzels, honey mustard pretzels, and package a serving size in a plastic bag. 

Clue into what you are craving? 

·        Under times of stress, don’t you usually feel tension?  Foods that you can really bite into may help you.  If we keep to high carbohydrate foods, here are foods that you can sink your teeth into:

·        Red licorice

·        Pretzel bites have more surface area to bite into

Slow down.

Eat slowly.  Don’t rush.  Have you ever noticed how much faster you eat during times of stress?

Moderate your caffeine intake. 

Caffeine can make you feel jittery on top of your stress reaction.  Moderate your caffeine intake to less than 300 milligrams per day.  Click here to find out more on caffeine.

Try as best you can to stay on schedule with your eating.

If you know you are going to have a hectic day or week, plan your meals using convenience and grab-and-go foods.