Does stress eating actually happen?

Yes, stress eating is a thing. It comes from us having an unhealthy relationship with food, or so I’m told.

I just know that stress has been getting to me lately. We are down two people at work and I’m trying to cover down and do three peoples’ jobs. All three are getting done, but none of them are getting done well. Which stresses me out more.

The more stressed I get, the more I turn to stress eating. I want donuts, cakes, nachos, and pancakes. I want to eat just about anything that isn’t good for me or on my diet.

I have been working on a 75 Hard Challenge since the day after Christmas and I’ve been failing. Especially on the diet. I look at what I have to do at work and then stop for a donut on the way in.

I get stressed at work and walk across the street to get a couple of tacos and a candy bar because I need to get away for a little.

If you do the same thing I know you are overweight like me. Especially as I get older there isn’t enough exercise in the world to get over my love of donuts.

The book Atomic Habits, it’s all about replacing the bad habit with a good one. I’ve tried to just not eat the donuts, cakes, ice cream, and chocolate but that just doesn’t seem to be realistic in life these days. Those things are everywhere and we have a deep survival instinct to eat the high sugar crap. Our bodies are always thinking the next meal may not come, so eat what you can now. And eat the stuff that will store the most energy (fat).

I haven’t figured out how to completely beat my stress eating yet but have found two things that help me:

1 – Drink lots of water. The more water I drink, the less I want something to eat. Sometimes I have to drink half a gallon of water to make the cravings go away, but it does work sometimes.

2 – Eat something else. For a while nuts were working for me. I could eat a handful or two and not want much else.

Neither one of these techniques works 100% of the time and my will power will only go so far.

So I’ve decided to work on my will power. Will it work for you? I have no idea if it will even work for me. I’m just taking you along my journey and hopefully, you see something that will work for you and get off the track of stress eating too much.

Two things in my life have really affected my physical comfort in life, my age, and weight. My age I can’t fix, but the weight, I can.

As my weight has been going up over the years my health and my lifestyle have been suffering. I don’t go on things I want to because I’m afraid of the weight. I’m also afraid of the amount of pain that trip will cause me.

I’m currently 325 pounds. I noticed that over 300 pounds I couldn’t jump in and out of my truck without pain. I can’t walk for long periods of time without back pain building up. And I can’t run hardly at all. Not that I ever really liked just running, I do like the idea of hard races like Tough Mudder Runs, Go Ruck, and the Tactical Games.

So today, Sunday, I’m working on my will power. I’ve decided to fast all day Sunday just to prove to myself that I can stay away from food. I’m still working the slow carb diet and my off day is Saturday. So that actually makes it harder. And I’m doing that on purpose.

I have to once again break my addiction to food. Stress eating is not helping my addiction at all!

How about you? Do you stress eat? Does it make you feel better or worse? Can you use more will power?

More will power is what the 75 Hard Challenge is all about. It’s you against your will. Will you win or let your subconscious dictate your life? Self-discipline, willpower, and grit is all learned and practiced traits. Doing something hard or going without builds that muscle.

You are either working on your discipline, will power, and grit, or letting it atrophy. There is no staying the same.

What will you do to regain the disciple, willpower, and grit that will stop you from stress eating?

Ben Branam

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