How to stop stress eating during stressful times

April 23, 2020

Erica Bivens,

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – With the COVID-19 pandemic, many people continue to work from home which means we’re closer to the fridge and may be reaching for it more.

Even if you’re not working from home, during these uncertain times, we may find ourselves stress eating.

Courtney T. Luecking, PhD, MPH, RDN is an Assistant Extension Professor and Extension Specialist in Health and Nutrition with the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at the University of Kentucky. “We are under a lot of stress and the reason for stress are different person to person but our bodies are responding in similar ways,” said Luecking.

Luecking says with long periods of stress, our body’s stress response system is staying on, “This means we have higher than normal levels of stress hormones and that actually interrupts our ability to understand our bodys cues to start or stop eating and it increases our appetite for foods that are high in sugar, fat or salt.”

While eating can provide a distraction from stress, Luecking says some ways to stop are simply to, “Take time to pause and think what do I really need in this moment?” She says that means moving your body whether it’s going for a walk, doing yoga or taking deep breaths.

If you are finding yourself craving a particular comfort food, Luecking says it’s okay to commit to it every now and then, “own it and enjoy it.”

Another way to monitor your stress eating is to elimate any distractions. “Sit at the table, put down your phone, turn off the tv and put your food in a bowl,” said Luecking. “We’re likely to eat more when we eat straight from the package.”