Weight gain or obesity is one of the major health issues faced by US citizens at this point of time. This problem may arise due to many reasons, stress being one of them. The hectic lifestyle of people today has led to the increase in stress. You may have noticed that, when you are stressed out, you tend to binge on anything you find handy. You do not think about eating healthy during these times. Apart from that, you also try to fulfill your emotional needs with unnecessary eating. Stress eating is one of the reasons for stress related weight gain. If you want to reduce stress induced weight gain, you must try to keep stress at bay. Here are some ways to deal with it:
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Recognize early warning signs
Try to recognize the early warning signs of stress. If you feel depressed or get irritated at the slightest pretext or feel anxious unnecessarily, you need to become wary. Consult a doctor and keep away stress.
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Find a distraction
If you are not hungry, yet you feel the urge to eat, you should find a way to distract yourself. Develop a hobby so that you can dedicate your free time doing what you really like.
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Avoid skipping meals
This is one of the major mistakes that many people commit while dealing with weight gain problem. Skipping meals, especially breakfast, is really bad. It will aggravate your problem rather than reducing it.
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Know the reason for your eating
You need to know the reason why you are eating. If you feel tempted, try to find out whether it is out of anxiousness. If you are really hungry and eat, it won’t have any harmful effect on your weight. However, if you eat just to beat stress, you will gain weight which won’t be good for your health.
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Maintain a food journal
With a food journal, you can get an idea about your eating habits. Also try to record your behavior, what you were feeling like, when you ate something. You will be able to find a certain pattern and connection between your eating habit and your behavior. This will give you a complete idea of the situation and you can overcome your weight gain problem easily.
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Learn to relax
The key to stress busting is to relax your mind and body completely. If you learn how to relax, you can easily get rid of your stress. Practice meditation and yoga regularly. You can also go for a relaxing massage.
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Exercise regularly
Another helpful way to reduce stress is to exercise regularly. Work out at your home or gym to get a fit body. With a fit body, you will get a fit mind and there will be no place for stress in your life.
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Sleep adequately
One of the most important ways to deal with stress-related obesity is to get adequate sleep. You need to get eight hours of sleep if you really want to fight off tension.
Follow these tips, manage your stress effectively and reduce your excessive weight