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Overeating? Part 2

Are you wondering WHY you have a tendency to overindulge?
 
If so, and you haven't read Part 1, please do that now as it explores the most common reasons. But for those of you who have already explored…

• Nutrient intake
• Diet history
• Sleep habits
• Dinner time awareness
• Pleasure status

And are getting an A+ in each area, here are 5 illuminating reasons you might have trouble putting down the fork...
 
1. You're too stressed.
No one can avoid stress these days. It's part of life. When we are stressed too often, our cortisol levels rise, which actually blocks our ability to experience pleasure. Since food is one of our primary sources of pleasure, too much stress in your life can prime you for overeating.
 
How to fix? Find the self-chosen stressors in your life such as negative self-talk, the job you hate, toxic relationships, or a pessimistic attitude and eliminate them (or take steps to make each less stressful) one by one.
 
2. You're avoiding painful emotions.
We all have emotions we'd rather not experience at times. And it is a natural tendency to want to distract ourselves to lessen the pain. But, when this is done too often, the emotions are never fully dealt with and we get stuck in a cycle where we do things (like eat, drink and smoke) in an attempt to keep them suppressed.
 
Believe me, I know it's scary to confront them, but when you do, you'll realize it's not as bad as you imagined. The things you envision happening, often won’t. Just like the monster under the bed. Once you bring it into the light, it’s just a dusty sock.
 
The best part is, once you give painful emotions the attention they deserve, you won’t be compelled to eat to avoid them. So be brave and give your emotions (yes, all of them) the attention they deserve, let them go and watch how your appetite shifts.
 
3. You're disembodied.
This is a term I learned from my mentor, Marc David, that means "not in your body." Now, I know that sounds crazy because we're all technically "in" our bodies, but the incessant stimulation we're exposed to today often numbs us to our bodily sensations including the feeling of being full. The more we live in our minds the less we FEEL in our body which makes it easy to miss the signal that you’ve had enough.
 
How to get embodied? Take a few minutes each day to simply notice the sensations you experience while eating. How did that bite taste? What was the texture like? How did it feel in your belly? Once you learn to tune in, you’ll know exactly when to stop.
 
4.  You're practicing symbolic substitution.
This is a psychological concept I learned during my training as an 'eating psychology' coach.  It means that when we can't have what we really want, we tend to opt for next best thing. In other words, if we're not living the life we've dreamed of (for instance, we don't have the job, house, career, friends we want) we look to food instead.
 
Make a list of your top 10 deepest desires (no matter how silly or seemingly impossible!) and take the steps to make them happen!
 
5. You're fighting your natural appetite.
As we talked about in Part 1, we all require different amounts of food. Many of us eat less than we want because we believe that in order to lose weight we HAVE to eat less. But unfortunately, our body prioritizes survival over a trim waistline.
 
When we eat less than we need, our body senses danger and kicks our appetite into overdrive. Tuning into your natural appetite, being curious about why you’re eating and choosing high-quality foods is a far more effective approach. Remember, your body is your ally not the enemy. Treat it with respect and things often fall into place effortlessly.
 
Today’s take-home message:
Overeating is NOT the result of a willpower deficit, but a complex behavior that often makes a lot of sense.
 
The most important thing to remember is no matter WHY you're overeating, overeating is here to teach you something.
 
It might be asking you to…

• Listen
• Get curious
• Eat more healthful foods
• Cut back on sugar and processed foods
• Confront painful emotions
• Bring awareness to the dinner table
• Add more pleasure
• Reduce stress
• Get “in” your body
• Live the life you’ve always dreamed of
• Stop fighting your natural appetite

The only way to stop is to become your own detective and identify your root cause. But just know, though it may be frustrating, it is NOT the cause of your issues, but the answer.
 
The doorway you can walk through to become your shiny version 2.0!
 
I hope this was helpful! And if you’re looking for a nutrient dense, DELICIOUS snack to grab when cravings strike, try our 100% Grass Fed Beef Sticks (with probiotics) or our Brand New Superfood Bars (with anti-aging) collagen today.

People are loving them and being prepared is half the battle.
 
And if you're interested in learning more about the psychology of eating or feeling your best please try my new program, Radiate in 28.