What do you associate comfort foods with? When do we need these ‘comfort foods’? The answers to these questions bring forth the direct connection between stress, comfort foods and weight gain.
Most comfort foods are high carbohydrate, high fat or both. A bowl of macaroni and cheese or buttery mashed potatoes are just two examples of the variety of food we consider comfort food. We are most likely to reach for these foods when we are under stress and need re-assurance at some level.
For a lot of us, comfort foods tend to provide that reassurance – the same feeling you probably got as a child eating those foods that all will be okay.
Not only do we eat more under stress, we also tend to consume alcohol more often.
That means we are not only adding in the calories from feel-good food items, we are also adding in a large number of empty calories from stress-induced drinking. All the extra calories mean a lot of extra workouts to burn them off, or more than likely, weight gain over a period of time.
Studies have shown that women in particular are more at risk for eating and drinking in direct response to stress. The primary cause for over-eating that women have stated in various studies is a lack of emotional support. That makes it imperative for those of us trying to lose weight to build a support network that we can rely on during periods of stress.
It may mean reaching out to them for help, just blowing off steam, or socializing with supportive friends so we are not focusing on tough issues alone. Being with company also means we are less likely to consume a box of chocolate, or a couple of bottles of wine.
Imagine the number of calories and weight gain you save yourself every time you do not eat an extra piece of chocolate or an extra serving of food?
What all of us can do is just to be more aware and conscious of how we react to stress.
This awareness in itself will help guide actions and help us make choices that don’t have to automatically mean weight gain. It also means that we can and should stop using stress as an excuse to explain any weight gain.
