Stop Emotional and Stress Eating in Just Three Bites

If you overeat or stress eat, there's a simple way to stop quickly.

Reviewed by Davia Sills

Key points

• Over 35 percent of stressed-out people eat unhealthy foods.
• Emotional eating is often used to avoid or distract from uncomfortable feelings.
• Being mindful while eating can help someone stop their harmful behaviors surrounding food.

Have you ever overeaten or eaten unhealthy foods because of increased stress levels? You are not alone. According to the American Psychological Association, "Thirty-eight percent of adults say they have overeaten or eaten unhealthy foods in the past month because of stress. Half of these adults (49 percent) report engaging in these behaviors weekly or more." In fact, over a third of those asked said that food helped distract them from stress.

I've worked with clients who binged on food to avoid uncomfortable feelings and emotions, such as loneliness. Eating might make you feel better in the short term. But whatever is "eating you" is not going to go away so quickly.

The good news? There's a quick way to stop stress and emotional eating. It's through using a "Three-Bite Method" that I teach in stress and mindful eating workshops.

This method can calm you down and help you realize whether your overeating is physical or emotional. It's a call for you to recognize that stress is that tightly wound ball that is driving your behavior.

Still, this practice is a good place to start. After you've identified and stopped unhealthy eating, you can start to deal with the stressors or emotions from which you may be distracting yourself.

So, what is this Three-Bite Method that will break a stress-eating habit? Actually, it's an acronym that spells out the word S-T-O-P. Just to be clear, this does not mean stop eating. You might think of it as a signpost that is asking you to "stop and be mindful of what you're eating and what's eating you."

3-Bite S-T-O-P Stress-Eating Practice

It might be difficult to be mindful throughout an entire meal, or any activity, for that matter. The goal here is to be mindful for just the first three bites of your food during periods that you are prone to stress eating. It could be any three bites of your meal. But let's go for the first three as a way to get you into a place of conscious, mindful eating.

Each of the letters of S-T-O-P stands for each of the bites. Yes, I know there are four letters in S-T-O-P! But that last letter isn't really a "bite" so much as it is just breathing and patiently sitting with your three bites.

Even if you are not stressed at this moment, I suggest you practice the three bites right now or whenever you get a chance. Use a small quantity of food, such as an orange slice, an apple slice, a cookie, a teaspoon of peanut butter, or a piece of chocolate. Even a raisin could work since you could take three bites of it. You can really use anything. You could even try this with the food you like to eat when stressed!

To begin, imagine that you are tasting this food for the first time without any assumptions or opinions. Now, let's get to the three bites!

   •  S is the first bite, and S stands for select. Be purposeful in gathering this bite. Select this bite; notice all of the colors, texture, and shapes. Choose a bite that is able to fit in your mouth easily. It is not too small or too big to chew, but just the size to savor the bite.
   •  T is the second bite, and T stands for taste. Your mind is fully on the sensation of eating. With this bite, you notice all the tastes that develop during the bite. Your mind is fully on the sensation of eating. You chew slowly, deliberately, and fully, swallowing with intention only when the food is completely chewed up.
   •  O is the third bite, and O stands for observe. With this bite, allow your mind to travel with this food around your mouth, down your throat, and into your stomach. Notice your hunger without anxiety or fear. It is simply hunger. Observe yourself placing the fork down. You might imagine yourself dining with the Queen of England or other dignitary. You become aware of the movement of your hand, arm, and mouth. You are eating with purpose, full of poise and grace.
   •  P, or the fourth "bite," is not really a bite at all. That's because P stands for pause. This is a time to just reflect on the previous three bites. Also, take a nice slow breath in. Release the breath slowly, allowing yourself to feel the calm and soothing feeling that comes from slowing down for a moment. Come into the presence of your body. What is it asking for right now? Does it really want more food? If there's an unmet need that's worrying you, you can just name and recognize it with a sense of self-compassion.
Conclusion
Each page of my new book, Simply Mindful Meal By Meal, offers many more mindful eating practices for inviting balance with food, body, and eating. Remember, too, that each practice builds up your mindful awareness muscles. While learning mindful eating takes time, congratulations on taking the first step with these three mindful bites!