# Are you a comfort-eater or a stress-faster? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047 "2006-02-12T00:04:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Penchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Penchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penchan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047/21 "2006-02-13T05:55:34Z")
I stop eating usually when I’m busy which happens to make me stressed. To alleviate that, I always carry a granola bar or some yogurt-covered raisins in case I don’t have time to eat/don’t want to eat, but should anyway. I also eat when I’m bored/happy/need comfort. It’s a wonder my body doesn’t quit on me more often. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047/22 "2006-02-13T08:59:29Z")
When I’m unhappy, I eat. When I’m stressed or anxious I don’t eat. It’s a fine distinction, but one that should be made. Thus, in the run-up to exams I’ll fast, but I’ll usually eat loads between the exam and getting the results, because I’ll have convinced myself I’m going to fail. I lost 6 lbs in the fortnight before my wedding, luckily for me, my dressmaker had figured this was going to happen and my dress fitted perfectly on the day. I lost 18lbs in the month before my A-levels -12lbs because I had a bad reaction to some medication and couldn’t eat solids for a week, 6lbs because when I recovered I had no appetite. None of this sounds particularly drastic until you realise that my “normal” weight is in the 98-102lb range. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047/23 "2006-02-13T10:30:06Z")
I’m a stress \*faster…\*and the longer you go without food, the easier it is to not eat. At my lowest ebb (pyschologically) I weighed in at just 49kg (and I’m 5’8" tall). Nowadays though I’m hitting 69kg with a big ball of blub around my tummy that needs to go. I keep wishing for some serious stress, but it just doesn’t happen!! If I don’t get stressed, I’m gonna have to go to the gym, and THAT will be stress enough in itself. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047/24 "2006-02-13T13:51:14Z")
> [@MissMossie](#): > > **Jayn** stole my answer. I’m pretty sure the getting sick thing has annoyed my girlfriend in the past. We went through a tough period where we had some rather heated fights. Halfway through, I would need to take a break to throw up. I’m pretty sure she still thinks it was just an excuse to get out of fighting even though she’s seen me get sick during other stressful events. > > -Mosquito I have this problem too; instead of getting butterflies in my stomach when I’m nervous or excited, I get sick enough to puke. (Naturally, I’m a stress-faster.) I wonder how many people have this problem? It’s a real pain in the ass when I’m traveling or have to speak in front of a crowd, but sucking on hard candy (especially ginger or spearmint Altoids) usually helps. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047/25 "2006-02-13T14:19:04Z")
I’m a stress-faster, for sure. When the going gets tough, the tough. . .stop eating, so it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047/26 "2006-02-13T14:38:43Z")
> [@MissMossie](#): > > I’m pretty sure she still thinks it was just an excuse to get out of fighting even though she’s seen me get sick during other stressful events. Actually, I think it is a sub-concious excuse to get out of something, at least in my case. I usually get sick when I’m nervous about doing something, like a class presentation, writing an exam, etc. But when I’m at the point where I can’t turn back, then the urge to puke goes away, even though the nervousness doesn’t. Not that that’s stopped me from throwing up before I reach that point. ---
**Author:** ![Electrical\_Storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac8455/32.png) [@Electrical\_Storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electrical_Storm)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047/27 "2006-02-13T14:42:55Z")
> [@Speaker for the Dead](#): > > Pretty simple. When the going gets tough, do you start eating or does your appetite just vanish? I’m definitely in the latter category. My mom’s worried about me, but I’ve only lost six pounds in a few months, and most of it falls within my normal weight variation, so I’m not concerned. > > Where do you fall? Complete and utter stress-faster. I recall I didn’t eat for about three days after my mother died. Drank lots and lots of coffee, though. That never changes; I’m a perpetual coffee hound. I always seem to forego food before important events and during stressful times. **Shagnasty** , I know exactly what you mean. There were times I wouldn’t eat for a few days just because I didn’t _feel_ like it. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047/28 "2006-02-13T14:45:21Z")
I remember gaining 10 lbs when I broke up with my ex. Then I chased after him and moved out of state and I lost 15 lbs. Could the writing on the wall have been any bigger? I was a slow learner. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047/29 "2006-02-13T19:49:26Z")
I guess I gave the right answer the first time through, but I completely spaced on the thread title. I’m a boredom-eater and a stress-faster. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047/30 "2006-02-16T07:31:47Z")
Neither. I very rarely overeat or eat for no particular reason. On the other hand, I need to eat regularly, even if it’s just tiny snacks, because I get hypoglycemic pretty easily; part of the curse of a fast metabolism. I can get shaky and nauseous after as little as 12 hours without food. The longest I’ve fasted is about three days and it was not particularly pleasant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-comfort-eater-or-a-stress-faster/344047.md?page=1)