Always overeating when food tastes really good? 😖 You feel the fullness; your body is telling you to stop, ‘I've had enough' as your mind yells, ‘no, we need more!' It can feel like a tug-of-war in your brain when you eat something delicious and struggle to put down the fork.
Here are two reasons why you might be overeating when food tastes good:
01. The food is so delicious you don’t want to stop (valid!)
When we eat something delicious, dopamine is released, and we get a rush of pleasure. And this feels good. It makes sense that when you are eating something delicious, you don't want to stop. Overeating when food tastes really good is easy to do! Food is yummy, and if this happens from time to time – I wouldn't worry about it! Rather, soothe your stomach if you feel uncomfortable and continue!
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02. You’re stuck in a food scarcity mindset (double valid!)
A food scarcity mindset is a belief that this food won't be available in the future, so we must eat it all now. And if you are eating something that you believe will not be available in the future – because this isn't something you eat all the time, or because you are telling yourself you are not going to eat this again – then, of course, you will fall into overeating when food tastes really good!
Rather than getting upset about overeating when food tastes good, what if we tried slowing down and working on breaking the scarcity mindset? Maybe you begin allowing delicious foods more often. Maybe you practice being more present with delicious food. Maybe you challenge any negative or judgmental thoughts in your mind telling you that you can't have this food again in the future.
Things to try today to get better at feeling your fullness (even when food is really good):
If you struggle with overeating when food tastes really good – give yourself some grace. We are drawn to things that feel good, which means, in some way, it's in our DNA to want to keep eating delicious food. Rather than being upset about it, let's practice ways to honor our fullness even when eating delicious foods so that we don't leave these meals uncomfortable.
- Prioritize honoring hunger
- Reconnect with what hunger and fullness feel like in your body
- Focus on building meals in a way that is satisfying to you more often
- Offer yourself compassion
And as always, remind yourself that the only difference between eating to more or less full is one thing: you'll feel hungry again sooner or later, that's it!
⚠️REEL DISCLAIMER⚠️
- This will not work if you’re restricting / not eating enough
- This will not work if you’re not allowing all foods to fit
- This will not work if you’re planning the next diet
- This will not work if you started eating at overly hungry
- This will not work if you’re judging your food choices
Healing your relationship with food comes FIRST. Being able to honor fullness comes SECOND.
This will take time and practice, but the more you show yourself food is abundant, the less you’ll feel the urge to get it all in!
