We all know the feeling of stuffing chips in our mouths way past the moment of knowing it’s time to stop. It feels out of control, and we make excuses and justifications until it feels normal. For some, this is occasional. For others, it’s a daily battle. In my practice, I work to decide what is at the heart of that battle. Once we treat the medical issues, there are still 3 core issues to face:
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- Compulsive thoughts
- Impulsive thoughts
- Emotional eating
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1. Compulsive thoughts:
[info] Compulsion is a repeating though or idea that forces you to keep coming back to the same place. There’s ice cream in the freezer. There’s ice cream. Ice cream…It keeps going until you can’t ignore it. Compulsion often comes from low serotonin. Sometimes treating food addiction is as simple as identifying why the serotonin is low and how to bring it up. Antidepressant meds are not always the answer. Many even cause weight gain.[/info]
2. Impulsive thoughts:
[info] Impulses are the actions that you take without thinking about consequences. You’re stuffed from dinner and never want to eat again. Then you see cookies and instantly eat 5. Regret seeps in but it’s too late. Impulses are often tied to dopamine, which impacts attention, addiction, and mood. Some people are born unable to regulate this pleasure seeking chemical, and those people need some help with that to control the eating.[/info]
3. Emotional eating:
[info] Obviously, all three of these issues can overlap. Some people simply medicate with food. How often do you see parents offering a cookie when a child is hurt? In hospitals, they give crying babies pure sugar to calm them down. It works, and using sugar and food is a learned behavior. Unlearning this behavior takes focus and help. On a simple level, find something that “medicates” you and doesn’t do any harm. You may need a therapist to help with that. I recommend that you start with finding something else to bring you joy. If you are not sure what that is and can’t see a therapist, think about a book like The Miracle Morning. I find that process very helpful for finding meaning.[/info]
Compulsive, impulsive, and emotional eating are at the heart of many weight problems. Understanding this is half the battle so you know where to direct your energy. You may need to have an in depth analysis of your metabolism to understand your eating patterns, but if we overlook the mind, we are overlooking a critical piece of the puzzle. Click here to book an appointment or a free 15 minute consult if you need to dig deeper.
https://aspirehealthkc.com/book-appointment/