why do we overeat?
I do not know if you feel this way, but sometimes I get so tired and exhausted. I am the mom of a 15-year-old and I have a one-year-old Cavapoo puppy that still runs between my legs while walking. I have tried to sleep every day from 10 pm to 6 am, but unexpected errands and work sometimes gets in the middle of my sleeping routines.
Studies have shown that fatigue can increase the production of cortisol and this hormone can drive us to eat more due to the fight and flight responses. And when we sleep less hours, we feel more prone to consume more calories per day.
Not taking the time to listen our thoughts and relying on external stimulation is one of the most important causes of overeating.
In my journey of trying to stop overeating I have learned that taking the time to listen my thoughts and being sucked into them helps me to reduce my fatigue-cravings. Understanding the why I overeat was the key for me to reduce overeating. Something that works for me and I still practice is to step away from all inputs for at least 1 hour. It helps me to reconnect with my inner resources and deal constructively with negative feelings instead of relying on external stimulation like entertainment, watching TV, social media, etc. There is nothing wrong with entertainment, I still enjoy it, but not as a result of avoiding uncomfortable emotions.
I acknowledge that sometimes it can be hard to identify or articulate our emotional states. On other occasions there are situations that are out of our control. But all those situations are also opportunities for learning how to deal with uncertainty. In the past, I had trouble describing my feelings or articulating my desires or needs and I overate as a result.
Numerous studies have shown that lacking awareness can happen when we mask our emotional pain. This process of masking our pain can be unconscious because it is coming from childhood trauma nad/or the lack of capacity to set appropriate goals for a meaningful life. However, I have found that my food addiction was an opportunity for me to become more creative and connected with my purpose because part of overeating was also connected to the lack of proper goals. During that time, I had goals that were not SMART (specific, measurable, action, realistic, time-bound) and I found that I was hungry for doing something that was meaningful, but I was not able to support myself emotionally. During the last 2 years I have worked to develop the capacity to be emotionally aware. How did I develop this capacity?
By reflecting, gaining body awareness, reaching my goals and by developing new ones that were aligned with my potential, my call and what the world is needing. We all need to set goals that take into account and honor our skills and need for deep meaning.
When we are disconnected from our main purpose we are setting ourselves for overeating.
Part of stopping overeating involves asking ourselves: What is really important to me? What a greater purpose does my work serve? Who will I be helping? What does it mean to accomplish it?
However, even when you practice the very thing that you most love like for me doing coaching, you will still get tired because we have limited energy resources and our biological bodies were designed to rest. If I set myself for an entertaining mindset instead of practicing reflection and body scan with my inner feelings, I still can set myself for overeating. Practicing the scan daily or as often as you can, will be your final discovery in achieving consistent health.
We all need to change our approach for overeating. Understanding that entertainment and fulfillment are two different things is a key. Multitasking, going to school, working, and taking family responsibilities are normal activities during adult life. But not taking the time to sleep is unhealthy and can set ourselves for failure in all the other areas. Sometimes what we all need is just to lay down on our sofa alone and practice what I call enveloping yourself deeply into the pain of your body.
Unfortunately, modern life makes us more prone to act like super rats winning the race than being a human. We all need to approach overeating as scientists if we want to improve our health.
