What Is the Easiest Way to Stop Being Obsessed With Eating?

Foods engage the reward centers of your brain, and some foods are more potent than others. Stop overeating by being mindful about food choices, stocking your pantry with healthy foods, making an eating schedule, and using other strategies.

Constant access to highly processed foods is a fairly recent development in human history, and unfortunately, the human brain doesn't always recognize when it should stop eating those sugary, salty foods.

Foods engage the reward centers of your brain, and some foods are more potent than others. Over time, these foods affect your eating habits and choices.

Foods that are exceptionally sweet, salty, or savory stimulate the reward centers so much that they release various hormones that make the food almost addictive. These foods are said to be hyperpalatable, and some people must contend with a particularly sweet tooth. 

With that in mind, it's clear to see the connection to overeating. Hyperpalatable foods release mood-affecting hormones, so your brain wants you to eat more even when you don't need to. 

Overeating is often the result of a combination of dietary, behavioral, and emotional factors, which is why it can feel so uncontrollable. 

Craving is not hunger

When you have a craving, you want a specific food. This craving can occur whether you're hungry or not, ignoring the hormones that tell you you're full after a meal and compelling you to eat dessert.

Cravings aren't inherently bad, but they can motivate you to overeat, and that can cause problems. 

Everyone overeats sometimes. For instance, holiday meals are practically synonymous with painful fullness. In other cases, though, overeating can be a sign of underlying health concerns. 

What is overeating?

An obsession with eating (pathological overeating) is a habitual behavior. Pathological overeating has three distinct characteristics:

• Repeated overeating
• Overeating to ease negative feelings
• Eating despite harmful consequences

What is a binge eating disorder?

Binge eating disorder (BDE) is a severe eating disorder that includes overeating and any of the following traits:

• Feeling embarrassment, depression, or guilt about overeating
• Overeating at least once a week for 3 months
• Feeling a loss of control while you eat

BDE requires a formal diagnosis and thorough treatment options. Talk to your doctor if you think you have BDE.

Is overeating an addiction?

Overeating and substance abuse are similar. Hyperpalatable foods are often described as addicting or similar to objects of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which shares similar traits to addiction.

Since overeating overlaps with other compulsive disorders like addiction or OCD, some of the same tools used to overcome those illnesses can also help with cravings. 

Mindfulness plays a massive role in handling your overeating. Practice a little meditation when you're not worrying about overeating to build your mindfulness muscles. 

Who wants the food?

You're hungry when your stomach rumbles, and you feel a bit of tightness in your abdomen. This feeling is your stomach saying that you need food. Seeing or smelling food can often make you feel hungry, but that could just be a craving. 

Next time your stomach rumbles, think about whether it's your brain or your stomach wanting food.

Stock your pantry right

Salty and sugary foods are the hyperpalatable treats your brain wants, and you probably shouldn't keep them around if you struggle with overeating. Start slowly, though, gradually substituting those hyperpalatable foods in your pantry with healthier options.

Even if you can't bear to part with your favorite ice cream or potato chip, that's okay. Set other limits like smaller portion sizes, separating the whole carton of ice cream into individual containers.

Make an eating schedule

Plan your meals out each week and schedule time to indulge in your favorite treats. An easy place to start is to have one indulgent snack or meal a day. 

Replace your comfort food with a 10-minute pause

People eat for plenty of reasons besides hunger. As romantic comedies have shown, for instance, some people will indulge in a pint of ice cream when sad. 

Once you've mastered stopping and figuring out whether your brain or your stomach is hungry, though, you can take steps to avoid the compulsion to eat. If you think you might not actually be hungry, tell yourself you'll tend to your craving in 10 minutes.

Then, distract yourself with another task for those 10 minutes. If you're still craving something after 10 minutes, have a small portion.

However, your craving will likely disappear when you stay busy. If you take those 10-minute breaks often enough, your ability to fight your cravings strengthens.

Take a break during a meal

Once you've finished your first plate of a delicious meal, grabbing a second one is always tempting. However, remember that your brain doesn't immediately realize your stomach is full, so you won't feel full for at least 20 minutes after you start eating.

After you finish the food on your plate, take a break. Talk to someone, wash the dishes, or step away from the kitchen to give your body time to feel full.

If you're someone who likes to load up your plate, try using smaller dishes. It's much harder to overeat when you can't fit much on your plate.

Mindful eating

Overeating is easy when you aren't paying attention to your food. Mindlessly scarfing down your lunch can often lead to overeating.

Mindful eating is a widespread introductory practice to mindfulness. To be more mindful while eating:

• Don't do anything else while you are eating (no scrolling on your phone, watching TV, or doing work).
• Think about the flavors, textures, and aromas of your food.
• Look at your food as it sits on the plate, balances on your fork, and moves up toward your mouth.

Slowing down and eating mindfully is one of the simplest ways to avoid overeating. The less you engage with your food with all your senses, the more you'll absentmindedly eat.

Overcoming compulsions is a difficult thing to do. There are simple steps you can take to stop obsessing over food, though, and the first is mindfulness. Your doctor or a psychiatrist may have additional advice.