Do you lose all self-control and overeat when you are tired?
You may be stuck in a “fatigue cravings” cycle, finding yourself on the couch, most nights, mindlessly munching on anything you can get your hands on.
And you may be struggling to understand how you are able to eat so healthily during the day and then cave in to your cravings when you feel tired.
Why You Overeat When You’re Tired
Decision Fatigue
Your brain has limited capacity to make “good” decisions when you are tired.
Decision fatigue is the idea that your willpower is finite, like a muscle that gets tired when you use it too much.
Good decision making is not a trait of the person, it’s a state that fluctuates depending on the amount of times you used your will power to make decisions during the day and is further affected by physical fatigue.
And Secondly, You’re Fighting Your Hormones
When you’re tired, your levels of ghrelin (your hunger hormone) – increases, while leptin – the satiety hormone– is lowered.
This can leave you feeling hungry, even when you are not physically hungry.
And the reason you are craving carbohydrates and sugar, when you are tired is because your body is looking for quick and simple energy sources to increase your energy levels.
Carbohydrates also encourage the secretion of serotonin, the hormone that makes you feel better.
So, let’s look at some ways to help you break this overeating habit:
Break The Cycle
The first step to take when you feel tired is simply:
You will feel so much better the next morning, after a good night’s sleep, and by doing this a few nights in a row, you will break the “fatigue cravings” cycle.
Take Time-out
When you feel “fatigue cravings” coming on simply take a time-out.
Here are some helpful tips:
Plan Ahead
This eliminates the need to make spontaneous decisions which require willpower you won’t have when you’re tired!
Here are some helpful tips:
For example: instead of running to buy/or eat what you’re craving, write it down.
Prevention
Taking preventative measures eliminates decision fatigue.
Here are some helpful tips:
And finally – try to get more sleep, it’s the best gift you can give yourself!
Now I would love to hear from you…
Please let me know in the comments below.
The Carousel would like to thank Irena Geller for her contribution.
https://thecarousel.com/wellness/nutrition-wellness/the-3-essential-steps-to-being-a-happy-emotion-free-eater/
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Answer: This is a great question! Overeating and stress, fatigue, or emotions just tends to go together for so many people.
Overeating when tired can be a big problem for people! Think about it, you come home after a long day of work and you’re starving…you don’t have dinner planned so you either stop by a fast food restaurant to grab something quick, or you get home and just start munching on whatever is in the cabinets.
Stress. We’ve all felt it. Whether it’s from family life, work, or school, stress can affect everyone differently. It can cause lack of sleep, or push us away from health promoting activities (for example, we may be less likely to exercise when we are stressed, or some people may drink alcohol more frequently due to stress). It can also lead us to overeating. Stress increases cravings. With stress, comes an increase in cortisol and an increase in hunger hormones. Here are some more tips of how to handle stress and emotional eating.
There are so many emotions. Many people associate certain emotions with food. For some, happiness can lead to “treating oneself.” For some, sadness can lead to comfort eating. Managing emotions with food can often lead to overeating. Food can certainly be a tool to manage emotions, and that is perfectly ok.
However, it shouldn’t be the ONLY tool we use when dealing with these emotions. If you are struggling to manage your emotions, a therapist can also be a great addition to your health care team.
We are huge proponents for taking care of yourself! If work is busy and stressful, close your door and take a 10-minute break. Read an article you had saved or a chapter of that book you’ve been working on. Go for a short walk. Make a cup of coffee or tea. Whatever will relieve stress in your day, make sure to do it when possible!
Practicing better sleep hygiene can make for a better night’s rest.
2. Eat consistently to prevent overeating from stressTry to incorporate 3 balanced meals and 2-3 snacks into your daily schedule. Eating balanced meals and snacks that incorporate both protein and carbohydrate will help give you the energy that your body needs to power through the day.
Eating consistently also helps avoid those moments of feeling starved and needing to eat immediately! Check out these blogs on easy meal ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Like I mentioned before, when you get home after a long day and you’re starving, it’s easy to grab whatever is fast or available. With meals already planned, prepped, or even cooked, it takes much less time to get a home cooked, nutritious dinner on the table! Check out our Mayhem to Mealtime program for delicious and nutritious recipes as well as tips for making mealtime easier!
Meal prep is a life saver! Seriously
4. Practice good sleeping habits
We really want to aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Have trouble falling asleep? Try to practice better sleep hygiene! What does that mean? Plan out a bedtime routine and let your body know that it’s time to sleep each night.
Drink a hot cup of chamomile tea, take a hot shower, read a chapter in a book, or do things that help you unwind and relax. Make sure your room is dark! If you need noise to fall asleep, invest in a white noise machine rather than leaving the TV on. TVs and devices (tablets, cell phones, etc.) have a type of light that suppresses the release of melatonin, which is a hormone that helps you go to sleep! Turn off devices at least 30 minutes before you go to bed. It may also help to create a consistent sleep schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day (and yes, that includes the weekends!). If you’re really dragging one day and are in need of a nap, try not to nap for more than 20-30 minutes. Being well rested can reduce overeating because adequate sleep helps with managing stress and emotions.
Practicing good sleep hygiene is important to make sure you get a restful night’s sleep
5. Plan self-care after work to reduce stress
That self-care thing that I mentioned before, it’s not just for during the workday! The evening hours can be a difficult time for people when it comes to eating habits.
One of my favorite self-care activities is reading a magazine!
Meditation and relaxation exercises are a great way to relieve stress. Listen to this relaxation exercise by Klara Knezevic RD LD CLT!
It can be difficult to manage your eating habits when exhaustion hits. Use these 5 tips to either avoid those moments or be better prepared when they do happen!
If you are interested in meeting with a dietitian for even more support, please call 301-474-2499 or fill out form below to make an appointment!
Blog updated April 2020
Feeling lethargic? Healthy fats, iron-rich foods, and proper snacking will help you fight fatigue.
The health portal Health.com provides some helpful tips.
One of the most pressing questions of the present time has become the question of what needs to be done to finally stop feeling constantly tired and lethargic, how to increase one's own energy supply and do it quickly.
Fatigue breaks us down physically and emotionally, cripples the immune system, making us more susceptible to illness, depression, and even chronic conditions such as heart disease. What's more, eating right and creating a healthy eating pattern can do wonders for making people healthier.
1. Eat more plant-based iron.
Certain nutrients, especially iron, help women feel more energized. Nearly 10% of women aged 20 to 49years suffer from iron deficiency, which can cause fatigue and impair physical and mental endurance.
Iron is essential for delivering oxygen to cells and for immunity.
Recent studies have shown that women who consume adequate amounts of plant-based iron are 35% less likely to develop PMS than women who consume less.
Products containing iron of plant origin: beans, lentils, spinach, sesame; eat them with foods containing vitamin C, so that iron is better absorbed.
2. Eat food in the right combination.
One formula for maximizing energy is: fruits or vegetables + whole grains + protein + vegetable fats + herbs/spices.
Cynthia Sass calls it the "5-Piece Puzzle" and this formula is described in her book, Own Slimness. "Balance is the key. Your body likes to be in balance," Sass says. "Giving it less than it needs is just as bad as giving it more than it needs."
3. Avoid caffeine.
Cynthia believes that "Essentially caffeine gives you 'false' energy because it's just a stimulant. After the burst of energy, you may feel tired again or even more tired than you were."
4. Eat an energizing breakfast.
In the morning, don't limit yourself to eating protein or carbs, and make sure you have a balanced breakfast, says Sass.
Instead of just eating yogurt, add some antioxidant-rich fruits, healthy fats like nuts or seeds, and raw or toasted oats. And don't forget fat-free yogurt for extra protein.
5. Eat more "real" food.
This refers to natural food: whole grains, not processed in the form of chips or crackers out of the box, the fruits themselves, not juice or fruit bars. This way you will get more energy!
"When my clients switched from processed foods to natural foods, their energy increased and many of them began to lose weight despite eating more calories," Sass says.
6. Eat more super fruits.
Sass recommends consuming as many super fruits as possible - apples, stone fruits, berries, tomatoes.
Limiting yourself to the same banana for breakfast that fills you up with nutrients and antioxidants can leave you feeling tired. "Studies show that people who eat the same amount of food but more variety experience less oxidative stress, which is a precursor to aging and disease," she says.
7. Avoid energy traps.
Avoid the pitfalls that reduce and even destroy energy, such as processed and artificial foods, refined grains and sugar, skipping meals, and drinking too much caffeine and alcohol.
8. Choose the right energy bars.
When choosing an energy bar, ignore what's on the front of the package and check the ingredient list, Sass says. “If the ingredients read like a recipe and I can buy them and make them myself, that's great. But if the list reads like a science experiment and the ingredients aren't real whole foods, I won't eat it, no matter the protein/carb/fat content or vitamin/mineral ratio."
9. Don't avoid fat.
Don't cut out healthy fats if you want more energy. "You need fat to absorb some of the important antioxidants," Sass says. One study that served salads with low-fat dressing, low-fat dressing, and high-fat dressing found that people got less antioxidants from vegetables when they ate salads with low-fat dressing.
The reason is that some antioxidants must be ingested with fat in order to be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream, where they begin their action. Antioxidants are important for energy because they fight free radicals and keep cells healthy, Sass adds.
10. Eat in season.
What is the secret of eating for energy, according to many nutritionists? Eat locally and according to the season. “When you go to the market, often the products are harvested less than 48 hours before you buy them, because they don’t have to be transported far, and they have time to ripen, which means that they contain more nutrients, "Sass says.
11. Choose frozen foods.
While fresh and local is great, frozen food is also a great source of nutrients. “Freezing actually locks out nutrients, so frozen fruit, without the addition of other ingredients, can be just as nutritious as fresh fruit, and maybe even more so if the fresh fruit hasn’t just been picked,” Sass says.
The moment a fruit or vegetable is harvested, it begins to lose its nutrients."
Often we eat not because we are hungry, but out of boredom or in a state of stress. If the phrase “nervous and eat” is about you, you will need this material on how to get rid of the habit of seizing stress.
Natalia Ekonomtseva
Have you ever asked for more during a family meal, not because you want to eat, but to please your mother-in-law who tried so hard? Or maybe you have ordered dessert in a cafe just because your best friend really wanted to share a big piece of creamy cake with you? You didn’t feel like sweets at all, but you honestly ate your half, because your friend would be offended if you refused ... Or did you just come home after the end of a hard day’s work and began to seize negative emotions and stress with something sweet?
If you have been in such situations, it is very possible that you suffer from a pathological desire to please others.
At the same time, the desire to make your family and friends happy makes you eat more than you need, and now you don’t know how to stop eating emotions and stress. And this is just one of the emotional reasons that can lead to the appearance of extra pounds.
Anger, loneliness, guilt, regret, sadness - these feelings and stress often make us seek solace in food. A cup of hot chocolate, a piece of cake, some cheese and wine - and life no longer seems so sad, and the weather - so cloudy and cold. There is hardly a woman who, at least once in her life, did not try to brighten up the tedious waiting with a bag of chips or console herself for a scandal at work with a package of ice cream with roasted nuts and chocolate chips. And when it becomes a habit, it is very difficult to stop eating stress and fatigue.
Some people try to please others with the help of tasty food, some people look for pleasant emotions, and for some people only a bar of chocolate allows them to get rid of stress.
First of all, understand the reasons that make you overeat, and then choose the right tactics that will allow you to stop eating, for example, stress food.
You eat for others, not for yourself. Psychologists have long noticed that being in a company where it is customary to eat a lot, even those who are usually used to limiting themselves unconsciously increase portions. That is why this statement is true: if all your girlfriends are overweight, then your chances of gaining unnecessary kilograms also increase. And if, among other things, you also strive to please others without fail, then you will eat even more and will not be able to stop eating emotions and stress.
And after overeating, depression sets in, and not just because you don't fit into your favorite jeans. When your main concern is to please others, you end up letting others decide what is good for you. You stop listening to your own desires.
There is only one way out of this situation: listen to your inner voice and, finally, get rid of the habit of eating stress.
You are bored and take out a bag of candy. It helps you relax, but in reality, you're just eating your stress food. Most likely, you do not need it, but an influx of dopamine - a substance that is produced in the brain and is responsible for pleasure, excitement and appetite. Dopamine is associated with basic human needs and is necessary primarily so that we do not forget to eat on time. But the frequent use of various drugs and malnutrition led to the fact that the internal systems of the body go astray and fail. Substances that are designed to ensure that our body receives the necessary energy become the cause of a variety of addictions and overeating. It has already been proven that in the process of digesting sweet and fatty foods in the brain, there is approximately the same sharp release of dopamine as after taking drugs.
The difference is only in the strength of the impact, but the principle, as the doctors assure, is the same.
Little has been studied by scientists about how boredom affects the amount of food you eat. But in 2011, American doctors conducted a small study (only 139 people participated in it), the results of which caused a real shock among specialists. Young men and women admitted that they most often overeat out of boredom, and not at all when they are sad or worried.
Regardless of personality type and character traits, all people on the planet have one thing in common: when we do not get enough sleep or are tired, we automatically look for sources of energy. And the most common source is food - usually something sweet or fatty. This is how weight gain begins due to the habit of seizing stress! Studies confirm that a person who did not get enough sleep the night before is simply not able to make the right choice of products, because his brain does not function at full capacity.
This is why proper sleep is so important! And if you still didn’t get enough sleep, try these tricks the next day.
You work too hard, get too tired and eat too much. It is these three components that lead to the fact that energetic and active women, to their own amazement, gain excess weight. If you work a lot, you are often in an anxious state and start to seize emotions and stress. This is quite understandable. But this may not be the only issue.
Women who take on too much work often forget about themselves. After all, you need time for yourself, and it is always not enough.
And there is always time for a serving of ice cream or a bag of chips! If this is your problem, know that even small lifestyle changes can help you tame your appetite and kick your stress-eating habit.
If you are not really hungry, praise the hostess. You can say something like this: “The pies are just wonderful, and the flavor is such that you will lick your fingers. But I ate so much at dinner that, perhaps, I will refrain now. Ask to wrap a few pies with you and eat them at home when you are hungry. Or treat them to friends and colleagues in the office. Learn to say no. Of course, you are used to doing everything the way others like it, and at first it will not be easy for you. Mainly because you will be forced to fight your own habits, even reflexes. After all, most likely, you grew up with the belief that you need to take care only of your loved ones, and not take your interests into account.
And you can deal with it only with some effort. You have to master a skill that you have not mastered before, that's all.
Start with those who push you with unnecessary services or products. Then try to refuse acquaintances who invite you to an uninteresting event. And when you master all this, you may already be able to refuse without remorse the second piece of cake at your aunt’s birthday, who is famous for her culinary talents, and stop eating emotions and stress with sweets.
Think about some entertainment that could lift your spirits. Dancing? Skiing? Scuba diving? Each person has their own ideas about fun, and this will definitely help you forget about sweets and stop eating stress. Someone needs to jump with a parachute for a shake-up, and someone just needs to master crocheting. Listen to yourself and choose what you like.
Do you always take the subway to work? Get off one station early and walk the rest of the way. If you need to lose weight, don't stick to one program. When you get tired of counting calories, switch to separate meals, then to a protein diet, then to the menu. In the same way, change the types of physical activity: today you are dancing, tomorrow yoga, and the day after tomorrow go to a strip plastic class. Over time, you will notice that the bad habit of seizing stress is behind you.
Think about ways to reduce the effects of stress you often experience. For example, make it a rule to give yourself a five-minute break between work and home.
How to stop eating stress and loneliness? When you are worried and your hands are reaching for a box of chocolates, take a little time out - at least for 5-10 seconds. Think about what else you can please yourself at the moment. And let this joy not be associated with food! Make a list of things you can do in a short break to get some distraction and calm down. Play solitaire on the computer, call a friend, and if you have pets, pet a cat or dog.
If none of these remedies work and you can't get rid of your stress eating habit, don't be so quick to blame yourself. Instead, be curious and reflect on what went wrong and what could be done differently next time. As a rule, the desired is achieved by those people who know how to take into account their experience, use it so as not to repeat mistakes.
