Have you asked WHY you overeat?

caimay10

I was reading a lot psychology/obesity research today, and it got me thinking deeply about the reasons why I continue to eat poorly despite knowing and understanding how serious my situation is (60lbs weight gain over 4 years, attempts at losing become shorter lived every time, and more weight goes on.)

I noticed that the times I really overeat are the times when I am most wanting company, i.e. in the evenings when I'm watching a TV show I love, and also when I go out to get my weekend coffee. I think I could be using food as company. I've also noticed that when I'm with friends at those times, I don't have the same urges. I'm starting to think this battle isn't about food at all and trying to control my food intake is just trying to solve a symptom of the problem.

I'm thinking of tracking my food intake next week and highlighting what food was actually eaten due to hunger, and what was eaten outside of that, and try and pinpoint how I was feeling and identify what I really wanted. Sometimes I think I eat as a way to relax and unwind.

Has anyone else thought about stuff like this?

cmriverside

Absolutely food is used for emotional reasons.

I used a journal for a while to become mindful of the emotions behind eating more than I needed. It was really helpful. Welcome to the site.

CafeRacer808

Tracking food intake and matching that with your feelings or behavioral patterns is a good idea. I know I tend to snack when I'm bored - especially at night - so I try to keep myself busy at night. "Idle hands..." and all that.

GottaBurnEmAll

CafeRacer808 wrote: »

Tracking food intake and matching that with your feelings or behavioral patterns is a good idea. I know I tend to snack when I'm bored - especially at night - so I try to keep myself busy at night. "Idle hands..." and all that.

I agree with this.

It took me years to untangle my reasons for overeating. The problem was that even after I did all that I was still in the habit of overeating and had messed up hunger signals. So getting to the bottom of my issues only got me so far in that it only helped me to stop from mindlessly eating. I still overate.

Ultimately, I've found that eating pretty much to a schedule helps along with having learned to eat slowly.

caimay10

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

CafeRacer808 wrote: »

Tracking food intake and matching that with your feelings or behavioral patterns is a good idea. I know I tend to snack when I'm bored - especially at night - so I try to keep myself busy at night. "Idle hands..." and all that.

I agree with this.

It took me years to untangle my reasons for overeating. The problem was that even after I did all that I was still in the habit of overeating and had messed up hunger signals. So getting to the bottom of my issues only got me so far in that it only helped me to stop from mindlessly eating. I still overate.

Ultimately, I've found that eating pretty much to a schedule helps along with having learned to eat slowly.

Interesting. So, getting to the underlying reason is probably a good first step, but work still needs to be done. I was thinking earlier that even while I'm working on the mental side, I still need a solid plan. But the way I see it, working on the emotional/habit stuff will ideally make sticking to the plan easier.

kandisn7

I've given a lot of thought to this as well! My weight problems have been a direct result of harmful thinking patterns that were created by my own selfishness. My mother had a terrible body image and relationship with food that stuck in my mind like a plague. And our culture is incredibly damaging as well. I know now that I had a horrendous "victim mentality" that would justify the pleasure I found in binging. Keeping a food diary has helped teach me beautiful things like self-control, patience, diligence, and responsibilty. I think you are absolutely on the right track! ♡♡♡

CafeRacer808

caimay10 wrote: »

Interesting. So, getting to the underlying reason is probably a good first step, but work still needs to be done. I was thinking earlier that even while I'm working on the mental side, I still need a solid plan. But the way I see it, working on the emotional/habit stuff will ideally make sticking to the plan easier.

Eating at a caloric deficit is what will make the weight come off, but knowing the underlying reason behind your overeating will likely make maintaining your caloric deficit easier.

kandisn7

That same "victim mentality" gave me lots of excuses why simple calories in/ calories out wouldn't work for me, as well. Somehow, I "deserved" easier and quicker dieting methods.

vingogly

A few resources you may find helpful for thinking about the behavioral side of weight loss and maintenance:

http://www.beckdietsolution.com
http://www.intuitiveeating.org
http://thecenterformindfuleating.org

caimay10

Thanks for those links vingogly, will check them out tomorrow!

DaniCanadian

I want junk food when I'm overly tired (I have a 4yo and an almost 1yo so that happens a lot...) or if I'm bored. I'm trying to combat the tires eating my going to bed earlier, and the boredom eating by having my hands busy either colouring or crocheting or some kind of project I can do while still relaxing.

Sara1791

caimay10 wrote: »

Has anyone else thought about stuff like this?

Yes, I drive myself crazy thinking about stuff like this. Food has been a simultaneous reward and a punishment. If I am eating to the point of discomfort, I am no longer "treating" myself, but hurting myself. I'm sure there are other components, but that's the biggest issue for me.

drabbits2

I too eat when I am not necessarily hungry. I find I overeat when I am lonely, bored, or "hungry" for something else not food. I am certainly not unique in this way! I have never met a bad mood that an almond croissant or chocolate chip pretzel cookie the size of my head couldn't fix! Clearly I am kidding, emotional eating is no joke and I do no have it nailed at all. Going to bed earlier helps a ton--for one thing I am not awake eating and for another I am able to make better choices when I am well rested. None of that is news to anyone. I don't know what I am trying to say, just that I understand-I know exactly why I overeat--it's like a temper tantrum but with food. Or it's a "reward"-like I deserve this giant brownie...that will make me feel awful in two hours. On days I work out, my eating is much better--I feel like I don't have that hour that I spent working out to waste by just eating those calories back in junk food. If it's a day I don't work out, I almost feel like "well, screw it, I may as well eat". I realize this makes zero sense, but there it is.

MaddMaestro

Yep. and when I figured out I was eating for emotional reasons, I stopped. It took time though. Certainly not an overnight process. I was eating mostly out of anxiety and boredom, so I went to the doctor to get anti-depressants and found other things to do besides eat all the time.

Since being more active though, my doctor said I can work on getting off the meds come spring.

Going to the gym more often as well as jotting down the calories helped me stop over eating. I can also eat until I feel full now without eating too much

livingleanlivingclean

Definitely - I used to eat a lot emotionally. I got to a point where I realised the food wasn't providing the answers, or making me feel any better. I still get urges to "just eat" occasionally (especially when overly tired or stressed), but can control them completely and I don't need to use food like I used to.

Lounmoun

I've thought about it and I don't see an emotional component to my problem. I see ignorance.
I overate because I didn't know what an appropriate portion size for me should have been and I didn't recognize full as well as I should. It was 2 hamburgers instead of 1. It was a second helping of casserole instead of salad. It was eating enough popcorn for 3 people my size. Seeing the numbers as I log I haven't really had that problem.

zyxst

Yep.

Emotional/stress eater, food tastes good, self-medicating with food (eating certain foods to deal with headaches, cramps, 'flu, etc.), and if I'm eating I don't have to talk.

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JeromeBarry1

I overate for ignorance. Nobody in my family knew how to teach me anything about losing weight, and after I married my wife didn't care. I had to live until midnight on January 1, 2000 when a toggle flipped, and I decided that my genetic patrimony equipped me to live to 100, and I would act like I wanted to. I stopped the grossest overeating 1/1/2000, and in the next 15 years tried to lose more, but couldn't stay below 270. When I found myfitnesspal in January of 2016 all became clear and losing so much that I'm almost in the Healthy BMI has been easy.

SammiG01

Food can number feelings just like drugs and alcohol. Some folks have a glass of wine, some smoke whatever, some eat a cake. It's all the same idea, using a substance to numb. The kicker is though that you can't give up food. The trick, for me, is to see food as fuel, a means to an end. I hope I can get to a place and time where food can be pleasurable again without going to the bad place.

cnbbnc

I think about it all the time! I've been maintaining my weight loss for a year now and I still have those times when I'm tired or bored and have the urge to start snacking. I've come to realize what triggers me and most times I'm successful at beating it....

I read something once that said before you eat you should HALT and ask yourself if you're either Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. That was a "lightbulb" moment for me.

everher

I think the better question would be, "why can't I stick to my weight loss attempts?"

Like most people, I gained weight for a myriad of reasons. I stopped being as active as I was, changed jobs to a desk job, started eating out way more frequently with no thought to calorie intake at restaurants, I would overeat because I was bored, liked the taste of food, was feeling poorly, etc.

I tried to lose the weight many times before too and would give up because I would be super restrictive about my diet. The key to success for me was realizing I couldn't change overnight. I started off with a modest goal of losing a pound a week although I was 60+ lbs overweight. Best thing I could've ever done. It allowed me to change slowly and get used to not eating nearly as much food.

I also made some simple rules. Among them was I wouldn't eat unless I was hungry, which took care of my overeating out of boredom, feeling poorly, etc. problem. I knew I didn't really know the difference between being hungry and not being hungry at that point so the idea was if I wanted something to eat inbetween meals I had to a) have the calories for it and b) wait thirty minutes to an hour to see if I still wanted something to eat. Nine times out of ten no I didn't.

I think also you have to be ready to lose the weight. I sat on my behind being fat for a long time wanting to lose the weight but being content stuffing myself like a sausage casing until I realized I was almost at my highest weight ever and that scared me into cleaning up my act.

red99ryder

well im thinking i like food and can eat more than i need ..

good luck

newheavensearth

I overate because the food was there, or something tasted good, regardless of whether I was hungry or not. Now I still overeat beyond hunger at times because I say to myself "I have x calories left, what else can I have? " I'm trying to break this habit.

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newheavensearth

Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »

newheavensearth wrote: »

I overate because the food was there, or something tasted good, regardless of whether I was hungry or not. Now I still overeat beyond hunger at times because I say to myself "I have x calories left, what else can I have? " I'm trying to break this habit.

If you dont already do this, prelogging helps, i plan my day ahead of time, if my struggle was eating because i had so many calories left i would just make my meals and adjust the size of things until i had little to no calories left..

Thanks! I do prelog, but what throws things off are my high activity days and all those extra calories. I only use half to a quarter. I'll try your suggestion.

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newheavensearth

Well that's my homework for the weekend! Lol!

Thanks for the advice. If you don't mind, I'd like to add you. You're very knowledgeable.

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zheeduh

A lot of reasons:

1. Eating feels good. It releases that reward sensation in the brain.
2. Eating relieves boredom (or gives me a distraction from work).
3. Eating is a social thing. When I'm with friends or family, it's hard to not eat as much as they do.
4. Sometimes, I'm just really ravenous, even though my body doesn't technically need that much food. Usually this happens after doing a lot of cardio.

Here's an article about how to prevent overeating, hopefully it helps: http://kegtosixpack.net/2017/02/02/5-smart-ways-to-avoid-overeating/

FitOldMomma

Boredom for me! When I'm really busy doing anything I never think about food or eating. I have to remind myself to take time to eat if I'm involved in something. But the minute I'm just sitting around, oh man- eating becomes foremost in my mind. Even more so since I quit smoking 2.5 yrs ago. Before I'd grab a smoke, now I think of grabbing a snack. :-/ At least I'm aware of this, so most times I can control the urge/craving and opt for something healthy. Most times, lol!