Using Fitness to Battle Stress Eating
If you struggle with stress eating, you probably have a set of tools to get through a craving or urge. For example, you might plan your meals, have an accountability partner, weigh regularly, and keep fresh fruits and veggies at your disposal. But how necessary is fitness to your battle with stress eating? Whether you think of it as fitness, exercising, working out, or training, physical movement can help you get past food temptations, reign in your appetite, and crush stress eating. Why we love endorphins. Your body releases endorphins when you exercise, even at a moderate pace, for ten or fifteen minutes. Endorphins affect your mood and appetite. The neurotransmitter dopamine leaves you feeling happy and on top of the world. It is what runners refer to as a “runner’s high.” Leptin decreases your appetite so that you feel less hungry and balances out the ghrelin levels, the hormone that increases appetite. You may find that after training consistently for a while, your anxiety and depression lift thanks to endorphins. Our bodies were created to withstand physical stressors to build strength, so physical movement and training are beneficial and healing to the body. How to get started with fitness. Before you start any fitness regimen, you should get clearance from your primary physician. This will rule out any medical issues and provide guidelines for you to follow. Next, you will want to take note of your weight and measurements. You will also want a baseline level of performance. For example, can you walk a mile? How long does it take you to walk one mile? How many pushups can you do? Can you do a pullup? Try to touch your toes and record how far your reach is from your toes. These are performance assessments that you can [...]
