Cómo quitar la ansiedad por comer (y evitar las calorías de más)

¿Por qué engancha la comida?

Estás de bajón, tienes estrés, falta de concentración, te sientes cansada y, de repente, piensas: "Necesito comer algo". Vas en busca de algo que picotear a la despensa y te das un homenaje. Mientras comes te sientes mejor, pero enseguida te arrepientes. Si esto se va repitiendo una y otra vez puede que estés atrapada en una adicción que afecta a tu salud y dificulta la pérdida de peso.

Abstinencia. Según la revista Appetite, la adicción a la comida (la ansiedad por comer descontrolada) causa síntomas de privación: dolor de cabeza, ansiedad, insomnio, irritabilidad…

No puedo dejar de comer

Algunos alimentos, como los dulces, producen en el cerebro un aumento de la dopamina y otras sustancias –endorfinas y opioides–, que generan bienestar e incluso a veces una sensación de euforia. Sin embargo, si los consumes repetidamente, el cerebro acaba acostumbrándose a ellos y no producen el mismo efecto.

La adicción. Cuando llegas a este punto es donde ya se ha desarrollado la tolerancia al azúcar, te has "enganchado" a él, y cada vez necesitas consumir más para conseguir el mismo placer.

Las tres fuentes del placer

In the anxiety to eat, in addition to sugar, we find two "public enemies number one" in salt and fat. These three ingredients are enhancers of the taste, smell and texture of foods, making them more palatable and tasty and, therefore, "addictive". But in reality, any food that gives us satisfaction or we associate it with a pleasant experience can end up hooking us, since those moments of pleasure are recorded in the gratification center of the brain. These are the foods that hook the most.

The mechanism of addiction. If you are stressed or anxious, the urge to take these foods to seek relief grows. With them we look for the "reward" value they produce, although this behavior leads us to overeat and gain weight.

How to detect food addiction?

You can have a problem with food addiction if you identify with these behaviors:

Lack of control. The desire to eat appears suddenly, by an inner impulse, without you being able to control it, despite knowing that you will later regret it.
Compulsion. You eat an excess of food in short periods of time and it is not because of hunger, it is that you only calm the urge with foods rich in fat and sugar.
Guilt. After eating uncontrollably, you feel guilty, sad, and ashamed.
Obsession. You are often worried about what and when to eat.
You need more. You eat more and more "addictive" food and it satisfies you less and less, so your need keeps increasing.

How to avoid the sweet tooth: 10 keys to achieve it.

Strategies that help you unhook

The first step is to become aware of the problem, analyze what factors lead you to eat more and gradually eliminate them.

Analyze your habits

How? These guidelines will help you become aware of them.

Write down what you eat for a few days (includes weekends) to see how often you consume processed, ultra-processed and sweet foods.
Write down what situations lead you to choose this food (the posters or offers of the supermarket, a dinner with friends, passing near a pizzeria or pastry shop …).
Write what emotion drives you to eat badly (an argument, a disappointment, nerves …).
Write down how you feel after eating it. Do you feel guilty? Shame?

Set realistic goals

If your goal is to give up processed foods, take small steps to achieve it little by little:

Start by leaving the breakfast croissant or muffin from the bar and make your breakfast at home. Find out how much added sugar is in processed foods.
Go reducing visits to fast food restaurants (hamburgers, pizzas, fried chicken …). Ideally, you should end up making it very occasional (once a month).

Leave the sugar step by step

In the same way, consider leaving the sugar gradually:

The first thing, do not add sugar to the food or honey, agave, syrups, etc. Replace them with spices: cinnamon, vanilla …
Next, avoid sodas, sugary juices, and alcohol. Do you want to know the "hidden" calories in alcoholic beverages?
Then avoid products with hidden sugars and sweeteners. Look at the ingredients on the label. If sugar is in the top three, it has a lot.
Do not abuse refined flour, rice or pasta and always opt for the wholegrain versions.

Anticipate and plan what you eat

Planning meals and doing a weekly shopping will help you organize what you are going to eat and have healthy foods on hand, which will get you out of a hurry in times of crisis.

Buy without hunger. Shopping hungry means filling the cart with everything that enters the eyes, including buns, cookies, precooked. If you need help, here is the healthy shopping list by seasons that we have prepared so that you can download it and thus make it easier for you.

Control your brain

There are also some strategies that can help you cope with food addiction.

The colors of hunger. According to the Color Marketing Group, red, yellow and orange are colors that activate the processes that make us feel hungry. It is better not to abuse these shades in the dining room and in the kitchen. On the contrary, blue is a color that provides tranquility and calm.
Is it really hunger? Every time you find yourself thinking about the desire you have to eat those cookies, check if your hunger is real: would a piece of fruit be enough to calm it? If the answer is no, it is not really hunger.
Emotional hunger Stress or anxiety causes you to misinterpret the signals your brain sends and to vent over food. Try other pleasant activities to face difficult situations, such as listening to music, exercising, socializing, taking a relaxing bath …
Eyes that do not see … Do not buy temptations (cookies, chips, etc.), and if you have them at home, out of sight, in tall cabinets.
Apply the 8 hour rule. Respect the daily rhythm of work-leisure-rest: follow the 8-hour rule for each of these three areas of life. Having free time and getting a good night's sleep helps balance neurotransmitters.

Apply anti-stress techniques

They are simple tricks that you can apply to your day to day to control your negative emotions and balance your mind. If you follow them, it is easier for you to avoid the urge to eat:

A few minutes of meditation. Practicing meditation calms your mind and improves impulse control, which will help you avoid bingeing. If you've never meditated on us, you can start with 5-10 minutes a day and search the internet for guided classes.
Breathe better. Sit in a position where you are comfortable and inhale deeply until you feel that your lungs are full. Next, slowly breathe out through your nose. Inhale and exhale again, repeating the process 6 times. More information on how to breathe correctly and take advantage of its benefits, here.
Socialize and laugh more. A study in Psychological Science concluded that those who smile experience 24-hour physical well-being due to the release of endorphins and dopamine and the reduction of cortisol (the stress hormone).
Face the day with optimism. When you wake up in the morning, let the sunlight reach your face; it will stimulate your energy and optimism and synchronize your circadian rhythms.

Practice exercise

Physical activity and exercise help to control the impulses that lead you to compulsive eating and to calm and balance your mind in stressful situations:

Nordic walking. It consists of walking with sticks. It is an aerobic exercise that works the legs, back, abdomen and arms. The intensity depends on the type of terrain and the speed of the march. Better in company.
Anti-stress yoga. Take your mind off the food. The joint work of body and breath makes yoga a very suitable discipline to break the vicious cycle of stress-craving. If you haven't tried it yet, our blogger Eri Sakamoto teaches you yoga for beginners.
Swimming. Exercise and relaxation. This sport with low joint impact allows to increase cardiovascular capacity, calorie burning and muscle toning. On a psychological level, it reduces the level of stress and anxiety that lead you to eat more.

Find out which sport suits you best according to your personality with our test.