It’s no secret that stressful situations affect our weight. For some, tension causes it to drop, while for others, kilograms go up. If you’re in the latter group, you know how a box of pizza or ice cream can soothe shattered nerves. More interestingly, many people struggling with obesity eat more and more out of sadness because of … being overweight. This creates a vicious circle that is hard to break out of. The most important thing, however, is to realize the real cause of this problem!
When food turns into addiction, it can effectively hinder functioning. The negative effects of being overweight do not need to be proved to anyone – health problems, faster aging of the body deprived of the right dose of exercise, heart disease and elevated cholesterol – apart from aesthetic reasons, there are quite a lot of them. Every addiction, or simply “exaggeration” will start to reflect negatively in one of the aspects of life over time. Ideally, everything should be in moderation.
However, life is not perfect, which is why many people overeat in connection with various emotions: fear, anger or sadness. In such situations, we are dealing with “emotional eating”. In order to free yourself from this state, you need to know what this mechanism actually consists of.
- A difficult day at work, problems in a relationship, lack of friends – all this makes a person try to relieve their sadness or irritability by temporarily satisfying themselves with food.
- In such moments, the craving for fast food and sweets comes rather than fruits and vegetables. Especially sweets become the basic “mood enhancer” – they give an additional boost of energy and temporarily improve the mood.
- The “snacking marathon” intensifies in the evening and at night, which causes weight gain, because the body does not burn extra calories.
- You can become as addicted to food as you are to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or computers.
- Obese people are often advised to see a psychotherapist, mainly due to the fact that overweight caused by excessive snacking often has its source in the lack of a sense of acceptance, security or belonging to a group. Understanding the problem can help you lose weight.
- Some people bring the tendency to obesity from home, and it’s not about genes or thick bones. Parents instill in their children that you should always eat until the end, and in the case of success, they reward them with a treat in the form of ice cream or a set at McDonald’s.
- Why do we eat to feel better? It’s a reaction encoded in our mind – as infants we were fed by our mother, which taught us that food is associated with a sense of security and comfort. This perfectly normal reaction, however, can turn into something harmful if it becomes an addiction and a way to reduce anxiety.
To break this vicious circle, you should get rid of the habit of snacking and keep even 4-hour intervals between meals. Returning to the breakfast/lunch/dinner mode will allow you to get out of the situation. However, if the causes of obesity lie deeper, you should learn to reduce your stress in other ways than through food. It has been proven that most overweight people try to fill boredom, sadness or loneliness with food. Only a small percentage of people who are satisfied with their lives have an uncontrollable appetite.
- Change the pace of eating – chew more slowly, savor every bite.
- Determine what the problem is, what is causing the stress or sadness. Work on changes, and if snacking is due to boredom – find yourself an occupation: a hobby, a good book, walks, sport.
- Before reaching for food, ask yourself: do I want to eat because I’m really hungry or because I’m nervous/stressed/boredom? Talking internally with yourself is really helpful.