Do you overeat when you get stressed? How about just eating food that isn't the best for you?

I can answer "Yes" to both of those questions because when life gets a little much I defiantly "stress eat".

The last week or so I've seen my stress levels rise and with it the amount of junk food I've consumed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those who follows a strict diet but I try not to eat crappy all the time either.

So for those of us who need a healthy reminder, here are 5 ways to stop stress eating so we don't have to buy a new wardrobe because our pants are too tight:

  1. Know Your Stressors:  Having an idea about what is causing your stress is key. Once you know what is making you overeat, you can recognize the signs, and take action before eating that entire pizza.
  2. Exercise to Reduce Your Stress: For those of you in good physical shape, stress is something you're already more resilient to. But for the rest of us who'd rather lift cookies instead of weights, we might want to change that.
  3. Reach Out for Help: Talking about what's going on can not only be good for your mental health but could stop you from overeating.
  4. Develop a Practice of Mindfulness: Try maybe a bit of meditation, tai chi, or even yoga. Something to calm the mind and body. If that doesn't work, I hear Rage Yoga is making its way to Rockford, maybe try that instead.
  5. Learn Intuitive Eating: Yeah, I'm not really sure what they're trying to get at with this one either. Maybe just to try to keep it all in moderation, but that's kinda obvious. So just eat what you like, just don't overdo it.

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