Staying on Track during Stressful Times

December 20, 2023

Sometimes the world just feels topsy-turvy upside down. For me, NOW is one of those stressful times.  My stress levels are through the roof. Can you relate? 

The ups and downs of life are inevitable. But guess what? It’s actually possible to handle highly stressful times WITHOUT TURNING TO FOOD. I know, a few short years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it either. 

If you’re anything like I used to be, you may be stuck in the horrible cycle of using food as a comfort and coping mechanism, which ultimately only adds to the stress, despair, and overwhelm that you feel. In the past, I used food for every emotion…stress, joy, nervousness, and excitement. I felt trapped and controlled by food, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t moderate my eating.

I eventually turned to bariatric surgery, hoping it would solve all my problems, and was devastated when my poor habits and out-of-control relationship with food started to return about a year post-op. But I am so happy to report that after a lifetime of struggle, I finally found a solution. 

It is now my life’s mission to help those who continue to struggle to find long-term peace with food. For many, understanding that their disordered eating stems from an addiction to highly processed foods is a complete game changer. Understanding food addiction and its treatment can help you finally gain control of cravings and binges.

Below are my top tips on how to best navigate our eating habits in times of great stress.

As a Food Addiction Counselor, I educate people on the addictive qualities of ultra-processed foods. It may surprise you to know that in the same way that alcoholics cannot control their alcohol intake, people who suffer from food addiction continue to eat more and to eat foods they would rather avoid in spite of their best intentions and best efforts. This is because highly- processed foods (think sugary or flour-based foods) trigger addictive pathways in the brain. 

Another thing to know is that food addiction is progressive. Meaning that the more sugar you eat, the more you crave, and the worse your addictive symptoms become.

There is an effective treatment for food addiction, which involves abstaining from the foods that trigger these addictive pathways. I support clients in developing comprehensive plans for food addiction recovery, but if you need a quick piece of advice to help you from sliding too far down a hole of overeating, start by focusing on REAL FOOD.

Fill your house with plentiful produce and real sources of fat and protein that are minimally processed. (Think fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, eggs, meat, etc.) If you are able, purchasing ready-made foods that are easy to grab makes it even more likely that you will make good choices. Cooked rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite simple go-tos. When I am super busy, I love to stock up on pre-cut vegetables from the grocery store.  Homemade, ready-to-heat soups or stews made from real ingredients have gotten me through many challenging times.

Make it as easy as possible to reach for real, unprocessed foods. It will be incredibly helpful to also clean out the processed food from your house. If you can’t do that, put the unwanted treats in a closed container on a top shelf where it is harder to immediately reach. Making REAL FOOD easily and readily available is an incredible gift to your health, especially in stressful times. 

There are many tools you can use to reduce stress and these activities are essential when dealing with tough times, especially if you want to avoid turning to overeating. So many of us who have struggled with our weight use food for many purposes other than nourishing our bodies. We have learned to use food as a protective coping mechanism. However, that coping mechanism ultimately causes us more harm than good and it's up to us to begin practicing more effective ways of soothing ourselves.

The number one tool I recommend for stress reduction is deep breathing. Sit up straight in a comfortable position, breathe in through your nose, and fill your belly to capacity with air, then breathe out, forcing all the air out. Do this twenty times and feel your body’s chemistry change.

Prioritize discovering what activities bring you peace. Do you enjoy a walk through a park, a hike, or maybe a hard, sweaty workout? Does a bubble bath relax your senses? Do you need a night out with friends to decompress?

I view self-care not as a luxury but as an absolute necessity, like a doctor’s prescription.

I know that for me to stay on a path of healthy eating, activities that reduce my stress and increase my mental and emotional well-being are non-negotiable. 

It is not appropriate to commit to drastic life changes during times of extreme stress. Expecting too much of yourself is only setting yourself up for failure and even increased emotional turmoil. 

One of the greatest gifts of healing my relationship with food was that I also began to heal my relationship with myself. I tried to denigrate myself into changing my eating habits enough times, and I bet you have beaten yourself up enough, too.

Real change comes from accessing loving kindness towards ourselves, and from this place, it’s much easier to make loving and healthful food choices as well.

That being said, it is extremely helpful to establish consistent, healthful habits during times of less stress so that these habits become ingrained and, therefore, easier to continue to fall back on even when “life gets lifey.” As a Food Addiction Professional, I use science-based food addiction treatment plans to help clients do just that. When we gain control of addictive eating day after day, it’s easier to maintain these habits even in times of stress. 

Stressful times are an inevitable part of life. But with loving kindness towards ourselves, coupled with healthy lifestyle habits, we can ride stressful waves while staying on track with our goals. If you want to know more about how I help people achieve long-term weight loss surgery success, please contact me for a free call. 

Pamela Mekuz is a Food Addiction Counselor at Life Is Sweet Counseling

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pamela Mekuz is a Food Addiction Counselor at Life Is Sweet Counseling that specializes in bariatric clients.  She helps pre- and post-operative individuals treat the underlying addictive brain patterns that cause overeating.  As a bariatric client and a food addict in recovery, Pamela understands first hand what it takes to finally eliminate cravings, stop binging and achieve sustainable weight loss. Read more articles by Pamela!

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