How to stop overeating

I wish I could say I never, ever overeat, but it’s just not true.

There are definitely times when I eat beyond when I’m full.

But it’s SO, SO much better than it used to be. I used to overeat at every meal – and also when snacking in between – because food was my go-to for dealing with my feelings. I used to…

• stress-eat
• sad-eat
• happy-eat
• socially-akward-eat
• socially-connected-eat
• I’ll-never-get-this-amazing-food-again-eat
• New-cool-food-eat

….and every other kind of emotional eating. I ate because it was hard for me to tolerate the feelings that I was experiencing. So I used food to turn down the volume on my feelings.

In my work with women, as we work towards creating a healthy and positive relationship with food, I hear a lot of pain associated with overeating. I hear about women not feeling good in their own body, and I hear a HUGE desire to stop overeating.

These are the words I most often hear

• I want to be in control of my food
• I don’t want to be feeling bad about myself after every meal because I’ve stuffed myself.
• I need portion control
• I just can’t say no
• I love food too much

The underlying theme in these statements is CONTROL. We have a desire to be in control of our food and a desire to be in control of our body.

But I want to let you in on a secret…

CONTROL IS NOT THE ANSWER TO YOUR UNWANTED FOOD HABITS

Nope, control won’t do it. When we get into a controlling relationship with our food and body, there is inevitably a backlash of being out-of-control.

It’s this seesaw effect of being “in control” and then “out of control” that leaves us feeling so very bad about ourselves and wondering “what the heck is wrong with me! If I know what to do – and what I should or shouldn’t be eating – why can’t keep my food in control!”

It’s the CONTROL part that is the big obstacle.

My recommendation (from my own experience, and from helping hundreds of women create a happy and peaceful relationship with their food and body) is to change the conversation.

Instead of trying to be in CONTROL of your food and body, let’s go for RESPECTING our body and food.

Respect in relationship to your food and body means that you honor your body’s wisdom – you listen carefully to how your body reacts to different foods – so that you can choose foods that enliven you, versus depleting you.

Respecting our food and body sounds like this:

• What does my body really need?
• How do I truly feel? Am I full? Hungry? Almost full?
• What kind of hunger am I? Physical hunger? Emotional hunger?
• Will this food give me long-lasting energy?

Respecting our food and body looks like this:

• Eating slowly
• Eating high-quality food
• Breathing while eating
• Putting the fork down between bites
• Sitting while eating (not in a car!)
• Getting enough sleep

It is when we step into this respectful and listening relationship with our body that we are able to HEAR our body’s “I’m done eating” or “I don’t actually need food right now.” Once we can hear our body’s messages, then we can move into actually RESPONDING to our body with caring and kindness…and that is when we stop hurting ourselves with overeating.

If you’ve primarily been in a controlling, dieting and painful relationship with your food and body, learning how to create a respectful relationship with your body is a process. It’s not something that changes overnight. Women often do best with support and coaching when it comes to creating a healthy and positive relationship with their body.

If you’re struggling with overeating and want things to change, let’s talk…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nina Manolson, MA, CHC, certified Health Coach and Psychology of Eating Coach believes that every women deserves to feel good in their own body. She helps women create a healthy and positive relationship with their food and body so they can love their body and life!  She’s the founder of NinaManolson.com and NourishedWomanNation.com 

She helps busy women look and feel their best, and helps them feed their kids well in a world that doesn’t.

She’s the author of “Feed Your Kids Well In A World That Doesn’t: an everyday guide to make healthy food happen in your home and beyond”. She’s also the recipient of the prestigious Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

To get your F.R.E.E. Video Series “What to do now, when everything you’ve done hasn’t worked” by mail and receive her healthy recipes and wellness tips click here.