Understanding Overeating

Overeating is common for many people, where food becomes a comfort we reach for during stressful and emotionally charged times, rather than being consumed purely for physical hunger.  At Support to Stop Overeating (STSO) in Brisbane, I am committed to helping people overcome this pattern through developing more awareness.

What is Overeating?

Emotional or Overeating refers to consuming food when we’re not truly physically hungry, we use it as a way to handle our emotions. This behaviour can become a habitual response to various emotional triggers, such as anxiety, stress or difficult feelings such as loneliness.

Identifying Triggers

Recognizing triggers is essential in combating emotional eating.  Common causes can include: food triggers, emotional triggers, mood triggers, body shape and weight triggers.  Building awareness around these situations can be one giant step towards understanding why food seems so comforting and we don’t seem able to stop overeating like this.

Awareness as a Tool for Healing

Building awareness means bringing our full attention to the present moment, which can be particularly beneficial in managing overeating episodes.  By paying attention to our body’s hunger signals and emotions, we can create a healthier relationship with food.

• Awareness Techniques: Engaging in a style of mindfulness meditation or breathing exercises to connect with the present moment, can help to reduce our reliance on food to manage our emotions.
• Mind-Full Eating Practices: Focus on eating slowly and savouring each bite, tuning into and filling up on the texture, the taste, and the aroma of the food on our plate.  This practice promotes greater awareness of our body’s needs.

Breaking the Cycle

It is possible to break the cycle of reaching for food to soothe our emotions by developing non-food strategies that meet our needs more effectively. Techniques such as journaling, engaging in physical activities, breathing in fresh air, and pursuing other creative and fun outlets can help to meet our emotional needs constructively.

Conclusion

I believe in the power of a Mind-Full awareness of the present moment to ease our need to overeat.  By understanding why emotional triggers cause our eating and learning to cope with our emotions in non-food ways, we can regain control over our eating habits.  Join me in Brisbane or explore our resources online to begin your journey of healing your emotional eating.