Dr Oz: Stress Eating + Type Quiz & Easy Guilt-Free Solutions

Dr Oz: Are You A Stress Eater?

Do you have a bad habit of stress eating? It turns out it could be good for you, as long as you do it the right way. Tia Brown joined Dr Oz, to discuss why the average person gains as many as eleven pounds over the holiday season. Coping mechanisms are how we deal with stress, and if we begin to eat to cope with stress, it can become a learned behavior. It can become a cycle and it’s time to stop beating yourself up about it, and determine specifically what type of stress eater you are, and what you can do about it.

To find out your stress eating type, click next page and take the quiz.

Dr Oz: What’s Your Stress Eating Type?

1. When my day starts to go off the rails, I react by:
   1. Opening a bag of whatever’s closest to me and start munching
   2. Making a pit stop to pick up my favorite junk food
   3. Fantasizing about what I want to eat later
2. When I’m at my peak stress level, I feel better when:
   1. I know there’s food around
   2. I’m eating something I crave
   3. I’m in the clear and can treat myself to a big meal
3. When I’m stress, I crave:
   1. Whatever’s closest to me
   2. Comfort foods
   3. Celebration meal (a large, high-calorie, indulgent meal)

If you answered mostly number one’s, you’re a constant eater. That means you’re constantly indulging when you’re stressed. For constant eaters it’s about quantity, not quality and you likely have stashes of food.

If you answered mostly number two’s, you’re a comfort eater. If your stress is about instant gratification and are usually looking for a specific flavor, you could be a comfort eater. It means you need the food to feel better.

Finally, mostly number three’s are reward eaters. They don’t eat during the stressful moments but instead you save your big meal for after the intense stress, feeling that you deserve it.

Dr Oz: Stress-Eating Solutions

Now that you know what type of stress eater you are, it’s time to learn what you can do to get that bad habit under control. If you’re a constant eater, you want to remove the temptation. That means clearing out your snack drawers and getting rid of the food you can get to quickly. Because the act of chewing can help relieve stress, Tia suggested stress eaters use chewing gum to reduce stress cortisol levels. Studies have shown that chewing can reduce cortisol, reduce stress, and improve focus.

If you’re a comfort food seeker, you should first accept that you can take whatever the issue is, head on. That’s easier said than done, right? The good news is that there’s a comfort food that’s good for you! Reach for a piece of cheese to fight stress and satisfy that craving. Of course, practice portion control and make properly portioned baggies of cheese ahead of time to help you stay on track.

If you’re a reward eater, you should save your reward for breakfast. If you delay gratification even longer, it could help you in several ways. Your willpower is actually lower at the end of the day. Studies have shown you’re more likely to eat less of whatever food you’re wanting, if you eat in the morning. Plus, couple it with some protein and your craving should subside for the rest of the day.