A common problem we hear from our clients and potential clients is that they feel obsessed with food. They think about it constantly, what’s coming next, what they just ate, what they don’t want to eat, and trying to distract themselves doesn’t work.
The First Step
The first step to reduce obsessing about food is to be eating enough for your current body. Scientifically, we know that not eating enough leads to excessive thinking about food. It’s a survival response involving many complex mechanisms in our bodies. Many of us unfortunately blame ourselves for lack of willpower and we feel out of control around food. We can’t outpower the primal forces driving us to eat.
Signs You Aren’t Eating Enough
You are always craving sweets
You do not eat meals or your graze often
You think a meal is a piece of toast
You go through days of not eating much and days of eating much much more and it feels out of your control
You skip meals because then once you eat “you’re hungry all the time”
You think about food all the time
Your workouts aren’t productive and you feel gassed
You generally feel tired, irritable, and rundown
You get bloated easily, feel full easily, and hunger and fullness are chaotic
When it’s Hard To Believe
If you relate to some, many, or all of this list above, we hope to hear from you. It’s hard to believe that we might not be eating enough. Especially if we’ve been battling with our weights or often feel that we eat too much.
We believe working with a dietitian that is able to collaborate, partner, and help lead you to understanding what your body’s individual meaning of “enough” could go a long way in healing our collective obsession with food.
When Something Else Might Be Going On
Sometimes when we work with our clients on what it means to eat enough, they still experience bouts of food obsession. It’s normal to feel still obsessed with food as we are healing our thoughts and bodies. If you’ve been working at this for awhile and don’t see improvement, we recommend partnering with a trusted therapist that can help you figure out what else might be going on in addition to nutrition therapy.
