We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Overeating triggers

Does anyone know what their overeating triggers are? The only one I can really think of for me is watching tv. I mindlessly eat when I do that, I’m trying to think of other common ones.

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
«1

Replies

  • Posts: 28,439 Member
    Afternoon boredom at work.

    Excessive stress.

  • Posts: 7,010 Member
    Over restricting calorie intake can provoke pushback from our body where we subsequently overeat (restrict-binge cycle)

    Personally, I also get cravings around my period.
  • Posts: 28,439 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    Over restricting calorie intake can provoke pushback from our body where we subsequently overeat (restrict-binge cycle)

    Personally, I also get cravings around my period.

    Oh, yeah! And at ovulation.
  • Posts: 7,800 Member
    Food being in front of me. Knowing food is there in general. :)

    Being tired is a trigger.

  • Posts: 812 Member
    Emotional distress. Also eating too little, but I know how to not do that now so that happens less often.
  • Posts: 170 Member
    anxiety and mental state. I was doing really well for a couple of years where I was able not to reach for food as a stress reliever, but then COVID came along and messed that one up real bad. So I am back on to try undo all that damage.
  • Posts: 7,460 Member
    Being tired. Always chasing energy.
  • Posts: 2,577 Member
    It tastes good and gives pleasure and it’s something you have to do to live. It takes discipline, determination and awareness for me to not over consume.
  • Posts: 29 Member
    I can think of 2 big ones for me. Boredom, and lack of variety. Due to work, I'll plan and cook meals for 3 days at a time, sometimes by day 3 I just want something else. So I'll snack a lot.
  • Posts: 425 Member
    I don’t know that I had triggers but more of bad habits. I did a lot of mindless eating. I would snack on food when cooking or cleaning up dinner or packing lunch for my kids. If I was in the kitchen I was sampling. Hungry or not. Also, when I was heavier I “treated” myself with things that were bad for me. I justified fast food runs and sweet treats in all sorts of ways. I didn’t have the energy or confidence to treat myself in other ways. Now that I have had some success with losing weight I feel better and have treated myself by taking a class I have wanted to take for years. My daughter and I are going to go get our nails done. I haven’t done that in forever. It always felt like putting lipstick on a pig.

    I guess my triggers were just being around food and feeling the need to uplift myself - and food was how I accomplished it. Glad I have found healthier ways to address that.
  • Posts: 484 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Hedonism deep in my psychological wiring, pretty much. Food tastes good, and I like eating it.

    A key to success for me was learning that being at a healthy weight is also something that feels good (very good!); and internalizing the sense that future Ann is a real person I care about, and that I need to behave now in ways that will let her feel really good, too.

    If I eat all the delicious calories I can now while staying at a healthy weight, I balance my current happiness and my future happiness. It's still about the hedonism.

    Well stated! I completely agree.

    I am also a social eater, so I am more careful nowadays to not overdo it at parties/gatherings so I don’t feel terrible later. I am very into sweets, and eating sugary things triggers me to want more and more. The problem is that sugary foods are not deeply satisfying, so I end up eating more “real” food to compensate, and it becomes too many calories. Sweets are how I gained most of the weight in the first place.
  • Posts: 2 Member
    edited September 2022
    Tiredness. If I haven't slept well, I gravitate towards carb-dense and sugary foods. It's rough right now with a newborn!
  • Posts: 711 Member
    I don’t usually overeat when left to my own devices - sometimes I forget to eat altogether, which is not good either - I like to cook for people and entertain people so that could be a “trigger”

    Oddly, while some people get cravings from cooking shows, magazines and cook books, I am the opposite - I almost feel like I have enjoyed the meal especially from a cooking show. And if I am cooking all day for a family event I am often not really hungry by the time I sit down. This is a combination of being around the scents of cooking all day, but probably also tastes of this and that along the way to adjust for seasonings etc.
  • Posts: 76 Member
    Bedtime.
  • My overeating triggers are :
    - Anger
    - Anxiety / overwhelmed type
    - depression/ really upset having a hard time coming back from it
    - Eating in my car
    - Standing up and eating
    FOODS I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO EAT:
    - Chocolate of any kind
    - Cake & cupcakes
    - Ice cream
    - Water Ice
    - Any types of nuts
    - Peanut butter or any type of supplement of peanut
    - Pretzel, chips, cheese puffs . ect.
    - Peas
    - Corn
    - Cauliflower
    - Squash
    - Avacodo
    - Coffee creamer
    - Candy of any kind
    - Meat { only once a week & 3/4 to 1/2 a serving of it .}
    - Bread
    - Pasta
    - Fruit
    I have food addiction. I finally am 1 year recovered .
    -
  • Posts: 7,800 Member
    My overeating triggers are :
    - Anger
    - Anxiety / overwhelmed type
    - depression/ really upset having a hard time coming back from it
    - Eating in my car
    - Standing up and eating
    FOODS I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO EAT:
    - Chocolate of any kind
    - Cake & cupcakes
    - Ice cream
    - Water Ice
    - Any types of nuts
    - Peanut butter or any type of supplement of peanut
    - Pretzel, chips, cheese puffs . ect.
    - Peas
    - Corn
    - Cauliflower
    - Squash
    - Avacodo
    - Coffee creamer
    - Candy of any kind
    - Meat { only once a week & 3/4 to 1/2 a serving of it .}
    - Bread
    - Pasta
    - Fruit
    I have food addiction. I finally am 1 year recovered .
    -

    I, of course, have to ask. You can't have water/ice?
  • Because of the flavor and it for me it’s from an ice cream place or were the ice creams are in the grocery store. My food addiction is server
  • Posts: 76 Member
    glassyo wrote: »

    I, of course, have to ask. You can't have water/ice?

    I'm guessing water ice = ice lolly = ice block = frozen confection depending on your country of origin. You misquoted by inserting the forward slash.
  • Posts: 7,800 Member
    Because of the flavor and it for me it’s from an ice cream place or were the ice creams are in the grocery store. My food addiction is server

    That makes more sense. :) I've never heard it called that before.

    Honestly, I'd be eating way better if I had half of your triggers.

  • My food addiction is serve . It’s no joke . I realized it today. I thought I was able to have kale chips cauliflower chips and these things called pop- chips made of of popcorn. That’s a no. This will be new addition. Flavored creamer has to go along with the cappuccino Kcups
  • 1. Diet restriction
    2. Fatigue
    3. Emotions
    4. Thirst
  • Posts: 116 Member
    Stress
    Sadness/Hopelessness/Depression
    Fatigue
  • Posts: 1 Member
    Thinking through a problem....its weird. When I'm eating I think better
  • Posts: 2 Member
    Working from home. Fridge being too accessible at all times. I have weak willpower :#
  • Posts: 34 Member
    Pain is my biggest trigger. I did some research that while your body heals from trauma it requires more calories. After surgeries or even just hurting myself I got straight to food.
    Anxiety and boredom play into it too and I crave carbs badly. I make sure not to even buy crackers because I will go straight for them.

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.