Stress eating is getting in the way of my fasting.

Dear Kayla,

I’m obese. I want to practice a 16:8 consistently, but stress gets in the way. Do you have any tips?

Signed,

Robert

Dear Robert,

Dealing with stress while fasting is a skill that takes practice. Comfort eating is, well, comfortable. Chocolate chip cookies and milk cheer you up when you’re feeling down. If you ask me, they’re almost too good at their job. The benefit of stress eating is that you feel relief, but we both know it’s only temporary. Stress eating causes weight gain and does not address the source of the stress. Thus, the original problem is now compounded. And yet, stress eating is still a hard habit to break.

“A nail is driven out by another nail; habit is overcome by habit,” is a quote I refer to often. Instead of trying to avoid stress eating, try actively doing something else whenever you feel like stress eating. Try these tips when you’re feeling tempted:

Get up and go for a walk. It physically takes you away from the food and it gives you a chance to think about the problem that is stressing you out.
Take out your journal and write out your thoughts. Getting the problem out of your head and onto the paper can help you solve it. Writing organizes your thinking, which helps calm you down.
Take a moment to pause and reflect. Ask yourself one question: is food the answer to your current problem?
Take action on the source of your stress. This means you have something difficult to do. If it were easy, you wouldn’t stress about it. Often an awkward conversation needs to be had, or a hard task needs to be done.
Take some time to create. Painting, playing music, drawing, even doodling are all therapeutic. You could try writing poetry about your problem. I felt silly the first time I tried this, but it’s effective.
Take up a new hobby or revisit an old one. From building model airplanes to needlepoint, a hobby provides two enormous benefits. One, it makes your life richer and more relaxing. Two, it keeps your hands busy doing something other than eating.

I hope that the list helps. The battle against stress eating is hard, but it is worth the fight.

Sincerely,

Kayla

Originally published June 13, 2023.

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