4 steps to reduce stress eating

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Let’s talk: Stress eating is a very real thing. It’s no surprise that we might find ourselves reaching into a bag of chips or spoon-deep in a pint of ice cream when we’re stressed (especially now). And while eating can be distracting and comforting, it’s a temporary sense of relief that can leave us frustrated...especially when it impacts our weight-loss goals. By paying attention to stress-eating tendencies, we’re more likely to recognize it when it happens.

1. Roughly 40% of WW members say they are most likely to overeat when they feel stressed, which was the most common reason for overeating compared to feeling sad, tired, or bored.

2. If you always eat a hot dog at a football game or popcorn at the movies, that’s a habit. Similarly, eating in response to stress or other feelings is also a habit for many of us.

3. When we recognize our urge to eat because of stress, we have the opportunity to interrupt that automatic habit and respond in a new way. The more we do this, the more likely we are to create a new habitual way of responding to stress.

Next time you feel an urge to stress eat, follow the steps below. (Hint: This technique can work for any emotions you’re feeling, like sadness or loneliness.)

1. Hit pause. Put space between the impulse and what happens next to help break your automatic response to reach for food. Set a five-minute timer before making a move. Try a Headspace meditation in the WW app, scroll on Connect, or watch that crazy cat video your friend sent you!

2. Be curious. Once the timer goes off, check in with yourself. Are you still having the urge to eat? If not, move on with your day. If so, think of other strategies that might relieve stress or change how you’re feeling. Maybe blasting your favourite song, calling a family member, or grabbing a journal will help.

3. Make a move. Try one of your ideas from part 2 to respond to stress. If you can’t think of anything that will work right now and eating’s still top of mind, give it a go. You already made a powerful step toward changing the habit to connect food and stress. And you’ll be able to make a more conscious choice. See if you can choose a lower-Points® option than you originally would have.

4. Reflect back. Did you eat or do something different? Recognize how you felt and if your urge to eat changed as time passed. Maybe you’ll want to choose another strategy next time. If you aren’t happy with how things went, show yourself some kindness and use this opportunity to learn, grow, and move forward. Viewing this as a process to learn from and iterate on will help you adjust your course moving forward.