Habits that are Causing You to Overeat

If you find yourself eating more than you think you should, it could boil down to these things:

1. Not being mindful – when we are distracted when we eat (which most people are these days), we don’t pay attention to what we’re putting in our mouths. This is like being in a highway hypnosis of sorts – the one where you drive somewhere but have no memory of going from A to B – that’s highway hypnosis and the same thing happens with food. If you’re not paying attention to what you’re eating you may end up eating way too much in one sitting without even realizing it. Next time you have a meal, make a date of it. Sit down (sitting triggers your body to know it’s eating time), and say a little thank you for the meal you’re about to eat, and pay attention to the act of eating. You may find that you’re full before you know it, and totally satisfied.
2. Eating too many non-foods – this is when you eat too many packaged foods, or foods that don’t have much nutrient value. Non nutrient foods cause your body to constantly be searching for nutrients so it’s always hungry. Start by adding in one healthy, nutrient dense food or meal a day and see if that makes a difference. Think of brightly coloured fruits or vegetables, and eat as close to raw as possible, you can lightly sauté or steam if needed.
3. Ignoring your inner happiness – for some people, over eating comes from filling a void. Food has become a sense of happiness for you. Something in your past may have triggered this, and now it’s your go-to comfort. This is similar to the way booze may be for an alcoholic. You have solace in food. It doesn’t let you down. It doesn’t judge. Deep down though, you’re not happy with this relationship, even though you don’t want to give up your favourites. This is why I take a different approach with food. Instead of forcing you to take out all these foods that make you feel good and safe, let’s find ways in which you can feel good and safe in other ways, and once you start feeling good, the food part just goes away. If this is you, I encourage you to start making a running list of things that make you happy. And if you’re thinking you don’t know what makes you happy, that’s OK, if you DID know, what would it be? This doesn’t have to be complicated like going to Italy for a month, just something simple like baking cookies, a long shower, thunderstorms, the smell of your child, or the look your dog gives you. You get the picture. With this running list, find ways to expose yourself to these happy things as much as possible. Google thunderstorms and watch one for a few minutes. Cuddle with your child or dog. Bake some cookies – but only if you can do it guilt free and the more of that you do, the happier you will start to feel and the less you’ll reach for food to fill you up.

There are many more reasons a person can overeat such as wonky hormones, digestive health issues and thyroid issues. Look at the above three reasons first and report back to me on whether it helped or not, and if not, let’s get on a call to troubleshoot – it’s totally free. Book in here.

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