Are You Eating When You’re Stressed?

One of my clients mentioned that he's doing quite well following The Paleo Diet, but he had a bout of 'stress eating' the other evening, which resulted in him picking away at some non-Paleo snacky bits that his wife had in the house (chips and beer).

Many people turn to food for reasons other than being hungry- and it's a hard habit to break; if it weren't, chances are there would be a lot less people battling the bulge!

Granted, there are many other factors that contribute, including mixed information about which foods are healthy for you, cost of healthy food versus going to the drive through, knowledge of how to prepare food in a healthy way that is still appealing… the list goes on!

If, however, your main issue is eating when you're not hungry, here's a tip-

-GO FOR A RUN

No, it's not that cut and dry; and I'm not suggesting that simply going for a run will change a life-long habit in one fell swoop.

So, having said that,

-GO FOR A RUN…ONCE

Make a promise to yourself that the single next time you find yourself feeling stressed out and about to reach for something to put in your mouth, even though you're not hungry, throw on your shoes and hit the road.

Habits take time to break and, if you  have a new habit ready to go to replace the old, not-so-great one, you'll set yourself up for greater success.

Yes, removing everything from your house and office that is not Paleo is a critical step, BUT there are many situations in which a spouse, a roommate, a child may not be on board with our style of eating, and we've got to be realistic and develop strategies to keep us on board regardless.

So, remember, one incident at a time- the next time you want to nibble away a bad day at the office, don't do it- going out for a run (or a walk) will give you the chance to think things through, and you'll come back refreshed and feeling better.  Of course, the issue you're stressing about may still be there, but you'll be clear headed enough to come up with a good solution, and you won't have derailed your healthy eating!