How mindful eating can help stop your overeating

If you struggle with binge eating or frequently overeating you probably notice you start to numb out, zone out or go into “binge mode” and really feel that loss of control.

My clients (and from my own experience) often find themselves eating quickly and distracted in the first place. This can happen for a lot of reasons like a stressful day, being overly tired, being anxious or fearful of the “bad” food you’re eating or often trying to “get it over with” because you feel guilty for eating.

While working through food rules that are causing stress and guilt is so important in healing, it is also important to start paying attention to how you are treating your meal times in order to stop bingeing or overeating and I mean ALL mealtimes, not just when it comes to a binge.

So let’s chat about why.

First of all you probably aren’t able to pay any attention to how your body feels and what/how much it needs.

Second, you aren’t able to be satisfied even if it is what you want to eat. If you aren’t present enough to be satisfied and mentally enjoy the food your mind doesn’t recognize what food you are actually eating, hurting your efforts to push past food rules.

And lastly, you’re coping with stress or another emotion with food and not addressing how to better manage stress, feel that emotion, or cope in a different way.

These factors (as well as others) can all contribute to this feeling of numbing out.

Why is it so hard to slow down and pay attention?

It really can become a habit and feel uncomfortable to sit with yourself. We get so used to being on our phones or in front of another screen. If minimizing distractions feels like a lot for you, start by making a smaller shift like listening to music or a podcast instead of looking at a screen.

Not wanting to feel discomfort with your food choices because of guilt and shame around food.

Stress of other emotions that are causing you to check out and either cope with food or cope with zoning out when you get a chance to.

Whatever it is that is creating these feelings here are some tips to help make mealtimes more mindful and peaceful

1. Sit down at the table instead of eating at the fridge or pantry and put your food in a plate or bowl instead of eating out of the package
2. Take a couple deep breaths before starting to help relax and get you out of fight or flight
3. Check in with your senses and allow yourself to enjoy your food. Satisfaction can be huge in preventing overeating now and later.
4. Give yourself conscious permission to eat and work through thoughts that are telling you otherwise
5. Pay attention to any thoughts that come up around food. What food rules are causing stress and guilt. How can you question those?
6. Check in with your body before, during and after. Check in with how hungry you are and how full you feel, but keep in mind hunger is more than just physical and mental hunger needs to be honored as well.

Trying one or multiple of these can help you become more present when eating and also help you become more aware of what you are struggling with overcoming when it comes to your battle with food rules.

If you are struggling with your relationship with food, support can be so helpful to overcome food rules and break the guilt cycle making you feel stuck. Click the link below to look into private coaching or DM me on instagram to learn more!