20 October 2023 | Written by Xenia Ayiotis
“I just can’t stop eating.”
When my clients say this, they believe that something is wrong with them. They believe it’s a willpower problem.
When I struggled with my eating, I believed it was entirely my fault and that I lacked control.
Yet, it’s not as simple as blaming our eating on a lack of willpower. There are usually many underlying reasons why we can’t stop eating. Judging ourselves is counter-productive, it keeps us stuck and prevents us from looking at other underlying reasons that could be causing constant eating.
Let’s look a bit deeper. Here are 4 things to consider when you feel that you “can’t stop eating”.
1. Restriction and Deprivation
Have you just come off a diet or a period of restricting food?
If you have experienced limited food choices or restriction it leads to deprivation and this is usually followed by a backlash of overeating.
Rules and restriction lead to obsession with food.
Think about your last diet, what happened?
In my case, I would reach a point where I simply couldn’t count points / calories / macros or follow rules any longer. That would lead to non-stop eating of my “forbidden foods”.
Another thing to ask yourself is, if there’s a threat of restriction or deprivation in the future? Perhaps you are considering another diet or cutting out sugar or carbs? This leads to “last supper thinking” so you try make up for all the food you will be missing in the future. When we try to eat less, it usually makes things worse because your brain thinks about food more.
2. Physical Needs
Are you meeting your basic needs for food and rest?
Look at your day, are you eating consistently during the day?
Is your body receiving enough food at regular intervals (including carbs)? Often if we skip meals or eat on the run, grabbing as we go, it can cause eating all the time because we never really get satisfaction from our food. Can you tell when you are hungry for a meal or snack hungry? If you are eating snacks when you are hungry for a proper meal this could lead to eating all the time. Have you changed how you normally eat? If you are eating lighter, you will be hungrier sooner.
Another important factor to consider is sleep. Is your sleep consistent and uninterrupted? Sleep has a big impact on recognising our hunger and fullness levels. Are you sleeping enough? I mean consistent and uninterrupted sleep. One the biggest triggers to eat is tiredness.
Are you experiencing physical pain or are you taking any new medication? These factors also have an impact on your appetite and eating.
3. Judgement
Are you judging your food as good and bad? Judgement of foods can lead to all or nothing thinking and that usually leads to more eating. We think that judgement will keep us in check but it actually triggers our inner rebel and we tend to do the opposite.
Did you spend time with a person who is judgemental of their food or body? This can trigger internal shame and shame leads to more eating.
4. Emotional Needs
What does your average day look like? Are you rushing from one task to the next? Do you allow space for you in your day?
What are your stress levels like? Are you experiencing burn-out?
Is there (some kind of) balance (we don’t need perfect balance) between work and play, rest and friends? Do you allow time for fun and creativity? We all have a need for belonging, safety and certainty. In times of upheaval and distress we may turn to eating to deal with these unmet needs. For more on meeting our emotional needs, read this.
It saddens me when the amazing women I meet blame themselves without looking at the full picture. I hope this article sheds some light on why you could be eating all the time and that you can be kinder to yourself.
Wishing you peace with food,
Xen
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Hi, I'm Xen.
I help women all over the world drop the struggle with food and their bodies to create a life of peace and freedom.
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