{"id":753,"date":"2022-02-22T05:00:42","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T06:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=753"},"modified":"2022-03-02T06:01:22","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T06:01:22","slug":"how-to-stop-stress-eating-3-uncommon-tools-for-ending-emotional-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/how-to-stop-stress-eating-3-uncommon-tools-for-ending-emotional-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stop Stress Eating: 3 Uncommon Tools for Ending Emotional Eating"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3808555 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stressed.jpeg\" alt=\"This LEGO looks worried, probably because he doesn&#039;t know what to eat.\" width=\"801\" height=\"301\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stressed.jpeg 2231w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stressed-300x113-1.jpeg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stressed-713x268-1.jpeg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stressed-768x289-1.jpeg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stressed-1536x578-1.jpeg 1536w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stressed-2048x770-1.jpeg 2048w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stressed-600x226-1.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 801px) 100vw, 801px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>All of us have plenty of stress in our lives.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>After the last couple of years, your stress level may have quadrupled.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you find yourself responding by \u201cstress eating,\u201d know that you are not alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>One of the top issues faced by clients in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1-on-1 Online Coaching Program<\/a> is emotional or stress eating. <\/b>And yep, the global pandemic only made it worse.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/coaching-overview-page\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button red\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tYou\u2019re not alone in this. Learn how a Nerd Fitness Coach can help.\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, we\u2019re going to show you exactly how we address emotional eating with our clients, including when it\u2019s &#8211; GASP &#8211; actually okay to stress eat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s what we\u2019ll cover in today\u2019s guide:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is stress eating? (a video from NF Kitchen)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What causes stress eating? (Lesson #1: Playing Detective)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do I stop mindless eating? (Lesson #2: The Stress Response Menu)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How common is stress eating? (Lesson #3: Learning Self-Compassion)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#5\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is it ever okay to stress eat? (Next steps)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span id=\"more-3808361\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s jump right in.<\/span><br \/>\n<a name=\"1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Is Stress Eating? (A Video from NF Kitchen)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NF Kitchen: Stressed\/Bored Eating\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0CaLrbrYN-8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><b>The above video from Coach Justin comes from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/prime-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nerd Fitness Prime &#8220;Mindset&#8221; video series<\/a>.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Justin covers three important lessons I want to highlight, but before we do that, we should ask ourselves a question:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat exactly is stress eating?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Stress eating is consuming food in response to negative emotions like fear, anger, or sadness.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we stress eat, food is being used to solve a problem. Now, unless we\u2019re actually hungry, it\u2019s likely a problem that food itself isn\u2019t meant to solve.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s stress or emotional eating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s what compounds the whole problem:<\/b> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stress eating itself can make us feel guilty<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. We often feel terrible once our spoon hits the bottom of the pint of ice cream.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This can drive more negative emotions, which can trigger even <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MORE <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stress eating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the pattern continues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3808562 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/tina-out-of-control.gif\" alt=\"A gif of Tina saying &quot;I&#039;m out of control.&quot;\" width=\"549\" height=\"310\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll talk about ways to break this cycle in a moment, but before we do, we need to create some tools to identify it in the first place.\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<a name=\"2\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Causes Stress Eating? (Lesson #1: Playing Detective)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3910590\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/detective-pikachu.jpg\" alt=\"a picture of Detective Pikachu\" width=\"867\" height=\"352\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/detective-pikachu.jpg 2508w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/detective-pikachu-300x122-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/detective-pikachu-713x289-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/detective-pikachu-768x312-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/detective-pikachu-1536x623-1.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/detective-pikachu-2048x831-1.jpg 2048w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/detective-pikachu-610x248-1.jpg 610w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/detective-pikachu-600x244-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 867px) 100vw, 867px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>You may have been surprised in our video above when Coach Justin gives permission to stress eat.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Counterintuitive and seemingly counterproductive, I know. But this is going to be important for <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How to Approach Stress Eating:<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Step #1: we need to curb the guilty feelings about stress or emotional eating.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I started this guide off by highlighting the frequency of stress eating amongst our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Online Coaching clients<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are not the only one struggling with this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most humans do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And robots with human-like emotions and taste buds<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3808573 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/eva-ex-machina.gif\" alt=\"A gif of Eva, who might be craving some food because of stress.\" width=\"480\" height=\"240\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll come back to this idea again, because ending the shame of emotional eating will be critical for moving forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step #2: allowing ourselves to stress eat will help us learn <\/b><b><i>why <\/i><\/b><b>we do it.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re going to be playing detective here, to see if we can piece apart your actions and routines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3808575 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/detective-gif.gif\" alt=\"This man&#039;s book says &quot;how to be a detective&quot; so you know it&#039;s legit\" width=\"330\" height=\"249\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of the day, our lives are a cumulation of habits. Stress eating is one such habit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So let\u2019s learn about it!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>To do so, we\u2019re gonna record some <\/b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>Emotional Eating Notes<\/b><\/span><b>.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During an episode of stress eating, it\u2019s important to ask:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What am I doing?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What am I feeling? (Both physically and emotionally)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What am I thinking about?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What time is it?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where am I?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who am I with?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, gauging these at different times can be helpful too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>How is your stress looking:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An hour or two before the eating episode?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right before it?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During it?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right after it?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The purpose of these<\/strong> <\/span><b>Emotional Eating Notes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To look for patterns!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3808576 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pikachu-detective.gif\" alt=\"Detective Pikachu is holding up a magnifying glass in this gif.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Perhaps you\u2019ll notice some of the following:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAfter my recent Tuesday morning conference call, when I got grilled by my company\u2019s leadership, I grabbed some chocolate chip cookies. This happened the week before too.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAround 2pm, when I get the \u2018afternoon slumps,\u2019 I normally grab a Coca-Cola. This little boost gets me through the end of the day. This is almost a daily practice.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLast Sunday evening, when thinking about the start of the workweek, I had a couple glasses of wine. When looking back at my notes, this takes place at the end of most weekends.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re looking for patterns to help us understand what drives our stress eating.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The most important thing about this process: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">withholding judgment.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re looking at our notes for clues into our psyche. Whatever we captured is okay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you order pizza every Thursday after talking with your overbearing mom (of course, she means well), step one is to recognize it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oftentimes, this awareness step alone can help shift behavior. \u201cOh, I\u2019m reaching for a beer like I normally do after ending my workday. Typical Me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After creating some notes on what spurs our emotional eating, it\u2019s time to think about some alternatives for coping with stress.<\/span><br \/>\n<a name=\"3\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>How Do I Stop Mindless Eating? (Lesson #2: The Stress Response Menu)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3808577 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-programmer.jpg\" alt=\"This photo has two LEGO characters in it, with one holding their stress response menu.\" width=\"803\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-programmer.jpg 2041w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-programmer-300x139-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-programmer-713x330-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-programmer-768x356-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-programmer-1536x712-1.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-programmer-600x278-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>After documenting what sets off our stress eating, we need to formulate a plan on what to do when our anxiety rises.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That means it\u2019s time to build&#8230;a <\/span>Stress Response Menu<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Our Stress Response Menu will be a list of actions or activities you can do to de-stress outside of eating.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideally, you\u2019ll do them before an eating episode, but they can be done during or after the fact too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, if you only realized you were stress eating when your hand reaches the bottom of the Doritos bag, no problem, you can do your stress response activity right then.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The purpose of the Stress Response Menu is to reward yourself with a small moment of self-love, whenever your anxiety levels are too much.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Examples for a Stress Response Menu:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Close your eyes and take five deep breaths (Coach Justin\u2019s go-to move)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drink a large glass of water<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/walking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a short walk<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go listen to one of your favorite songs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do a quick <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-stretch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stretching routine<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Write in your journal<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Play with your dog<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shout at the sky<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3808578 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/grandpa-simpson-cloud.gif\" alt=\"A gif of Grandpa Simpson shouting at a cloud.\" width=\"359\" height=\"269\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The more the activity from your <strong>Stress Response Menu<\/strong> can match your personal goals, the better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, if you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-building-muscle-and-strength\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">trying to build muscle<\/a>, some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/proper-push-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">push-ups<\/a> might be the perfect de-stressor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just make sure it\u2019s something you won\u2019t <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dread<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> doing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A combination of a \u201cde-stressor\u201d and a \u201creward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>This is important, as Coach Justin mentions that many of his clients <\/b><b><i>only<\/i><\/b><b> reward themselves with food.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The self-love they practice only takes place in the kitchen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our menu above will help us develop some more options, not solely based on food.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>To make the most of your Stress Response Menu:<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>#1) Make the activities short and easy.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should feel confident that you can do every item on your list. So avoid activities that will take longer than 10 minutes to complete.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Also, set yourself up for success by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-build-a-batcave-for-habit-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hacking your Batcave<\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re going to journal when stressed, keep your diary open on your work desk.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re going to drink water before any emotional eating, keep your full glass\u00a0 near you.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re going to take a short walk, keep your kicks near the door.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t set yourself up for failure by picking overly complicated or burdensome activities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>#2) Place your Stress Response Menu somewhere visible.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you make your list, print it out and place it in your kitchen or pantry (or wherever you typically stress eat).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You could also write out a couple of your favorite activities and attach them to your refrigerator.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it\u2019s right in front of you, it\u2019ll be harder to ignore (however, it\u2019s okay to ignore it from time to time, as we aren\u2019t striving for perfection).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just please don\u2019t write it and then stick the list in the junk drawer that opens to another dimension. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3808609\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/portal.gif\" alt=\"Yeah, don&#039;t put your stress response menu in a portal like this.\" width=\"269\" height=\"269\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You never can find anything in that drawer.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>#3)Track your usage of the Stress Response Menu.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will help us in two ways:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">First<\/span>, by tracking your usage, you\u2019ll start to feel better about using the SRM. You\u2019ll see an accumulation of all the times you successfully deployed a stress response, helping you visualize the momentum you\u2019re building.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Second<\/span>, the data will help you understand your patterns of emotional eating. Maybe five deep breaths steered you away from ice cream but the large glass of water did not. You can then use this information to update and revise your response plan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>For the first point, Coach Justin has his clients keep a \u201cJar of Awesome.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every time they have a small win in the day, like taking five deep breaths instead of chugging soda, they place a marble or small token in a jar. After a while, the jar will have a decent amount of marbles or \u201csmall wins\u201d in it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will then stand as a visual reminder of all the progress being made, proof of their ongoing wins.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button red\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tWant to start a \u201cJar of Awesome\u201d with a NF Coach? Learn more here!\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"4\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>How Common Is Stress Eating? (Lesson #3: Learning Self-Compassion)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3808586 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-on-the-couch.jpg\" alt=\"This photo shows a sad clown on a psychiatrist couch.\" width=\"800\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-on-the-couch.jpg 1020w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-on-the-couch-300x154-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-on-the-couch-713x366-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-on-the-couch-768x395-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-on-the-couch-600x308-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>The American Psychological Association has found that about a third of Americans respond to stress with food.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-1\" id=\"refmark-1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This research was done BEFORE our global pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So if you find yourself binging in response to the stress of our global pandemic, know that you are not alone here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our coaching clients, and the NF Coaches themselves, have all found themselves turning to food and alcohol for comfort during quarantine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heck, recently I mindlessly devoured an entire tub of Animal Crackers too. It was only when the bag was gone did I understand what just happened.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3808592 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/hangover-gif.gif\" alt=\"A gif of &quot;the next day&quot; from the film the Hangover\" width=\"566\" height=\"238\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many of us, even fitness \u201cexperts,\u201d are prone to stress eating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Now, don\u2019t take this as a free pass to stress eat.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the behavior goes against your goals, it\u2019s something we want to work towards improving.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But there\u2019s a reason they call it \u201ccomfort food.\u201d Food can often be used to make us happier, pandemic or no-pandemic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of the day, we\u2019re all emotional bags of meat on this floating hunk of space rock, and we\u2019re doing the best we can.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Give yourself a bit of a break, my friend.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">You\u2019re here<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">you\u2019re reading<\/span>, and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">you\u2019re trying<\/span>. That\u2019s great!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will bring me to my last point with our handy guide:<\/span><br \/>\n<a name=\"5\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Is It Okay to Stress Eat? (Next Steps)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3808593 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-hot-dog.jpg\" alt=\"A LEGO pushing around a hot dog stand (with ice cream)\" width=\"803\" height=\"414\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-hot-dog.jpg 958w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-hot-dog-300x155-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-hot-dog-713x368-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-hot-dog-768x396-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-hot-dog-600x309-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>There are times when food is the perfect response to stress.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s something Coach Justin mentions in his video.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cStress eating\u201d might be appropriate if:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a long workday, a glass of wine with cheese helps you unwind.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To celebrate the coming of the weekend, you have an ice cream party on Friday night.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The week already seems long, and it just started, \u201cTaco Tuesday\u201d might help you survive until Friday.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The important thing here?\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe are making a choice.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We are choosing to deal with stress or anxiety with food. By making it an intentional activity, we can remove the guilt around emotional eating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food can be fine as a reward, as long as it\u2019s us controlling the behavior, and not the food itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, if we can recognize the action (or plan for it), we can then adjust our calories before and after and not go off the rails.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can calculate your recommended <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-many-calories-should-i-eat-every-day-a-look-at-total-daily-energy-expenditure-tdee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">total daily calorie intake<\/a> here, by the way!)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>If it seems like you aren\u2019t quite there yet, start with your <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Emotional Eating Notes<\/span> and your <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Stress Response Menu<\/span>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even just the process of taking notes on specific episodes of stress eating may be enough to slow down the behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, no matter what happens:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are not a bad person if you stress eat.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are not a bad person if you forget to take notes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are not a bad person if you ignore your Stress Response Menu.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>You are not a bad person (unless you\u2019re a Death Eater, but come on, you know what side you\u2019re on).\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3808594 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/voldermort.gif\" alt=\"A gif of Voldermort looking mad and evil like\" width=\"312\" height=\"264\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you need any help along the way, we are here for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>We have three specific paths to continue with Nerd Fitness:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>#1) Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Online Coaching program<\/a>: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As I said before, \u201cstress eating\u201d is the number one issued faced by our coaching clients, so we know exactly how to help recognize and address the habit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tOur coaching program changes lives. Learn how!\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>#2) If you want an exact blueprint leveling up your nutrition, check out Nerd Fitness Journey! <\/b>Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).<\/p>\n<p>If you follow our Mindset missions, you&#8217;ll learn to de-stress while earning XP! Sah-weeeet.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Try your free trial right here:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup-leadin\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup\" style=\"background: none; border: none;\">\n\t\t\t\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/click.nerdfitness.com\/8BxQ\/534d8131\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img class=\"desktop-show mobile-hide\" style=\"margin-left:auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/NF_Journey_GenericAd_Desktop_v3_A.jpg\" \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img class=\"desktop-hide mobile-show\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/NF_Journey_GeneralAd_Mobile_v3_A.jpg\" \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><b>#3) Join the Rebellion!<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rebel Starter Kit<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which includes all of our \u201cwork out at home\u201d guides, the Nerd Fitness Diet Cheat Sheet, and much more!<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup-leadin\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup one-column split yellow-cta shortcode-form-12 \">\n<div class=\"nf-signup-intro\">\n<div><span style=\"font-weight:700\">Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-benefit\">\n<ul>\n<li>The 15 mistakes you don\u2019t want to make.<\/li>\n<li>Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.<\/li>\n<li>Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-form\"><img class=\"asset-image\" src=\"&gt;\" \/><\/p>\n<form accept-charset=\"UTF-8\" action=\"https:\/\/tv329.infusionsoft.com\/app\/form\/process\/12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" class=\"infusion-form\" method=\"POST\" id=\"inf_form_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\"><input name=\"inf_form_xid\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" \/><input name=\"inf_form_name\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"Plugin Signup\" \/><input name=\"infusionsoft_version\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"1.68.0.144\" \/><input class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_field_Email\" name=\"inf_field_Email\" type=\"email\" required placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/><input name=\"null\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"null\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" name=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" type=\"text\" value=\"http:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/feed\/\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" name=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" type=\"text\" value=\"3808361\" \/>\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginURL\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginLandingPage\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_IPAddress\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"99.97.212.131\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastMedium\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastCampaign\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastSource\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastTerm\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastContent\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOptinFormFilledDate\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"2022-03-02 05:05:49\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_infcustomcoachvariation\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookBrowserId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookClickId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"infusion-submit\">\t<input class=\"opt-in-submit button infusion-recaptcha\" id=\"recaptcha_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" type=\"submit\" value=\" Level Up!\" \/><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearme\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Alright, I want to hear from you:<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you been stress eating more over the last year?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you have any tips or tricks to interrupt the pattern?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s your favorite way to de-stress?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let me know in the comments!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>-Steve<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>P.S.\u00a0<\/b>Make sure you check out <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-nerds-introduction-to-mental-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Nerd&#8217;s Introduction to Mental Health<\/a><\/em> for more.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">###<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Photo Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/selective-focus-photo-of-lego-minifigure-behind-aloe-vera-plant-1007573\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Plant LEGO<\/a>, beer5020 \u00a9 123RF.com, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/fourbrickstall\/48716532168\/in\/photostream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Programmer<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/pasukaru76\/5023702628\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">On the couch<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/es\/photos\/lego-heladero-helader%C3%ADa-salchicha-4998354\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LEGO hot dog stand<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"footnote-list\" style=\"display:none;\"><span id=\"fn-heading\">Footnotes<\/span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;( returns to text)<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li id=\"footnote-1\" class=\"fn-text\">You can check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/stress\/2013\/eating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">their report right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-1\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-stop-stress-eating-3-uncommon-tools-for-ending-emotional-eating\/\">How to Stop Stress Eating: 3 Uncommon Tools for Ending Emotional Eating<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\">Nerd Fitness<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All of us have plenty of stress in our lives. After the last couple of years, your stress level may have quadrupled. If you find yourself responding by \u201cstress eating,\u201d know that you are not alone. One of the top issues faced by clients in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program is emotional or stress eating. [\u2026]<br \/>\nThe post How to Stop Stress Eating: 3 Uncommon Tools for Ending Emotional Eating first appeared on Nerd Fitness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=753"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":795,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753\/revisions\/795"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}