The Christian Nutritionist

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28: Why You Can't Stop Overeating

Chelsea Blackbird

Hello my friend! On this podcast episode we are delving into spirit, mind, and body to discuss the driving factors that lead towards overeating. Join me as I discuss the mental and emotional factors that keep us stuck in subconscious patterning, and how to break free from this cycle for good!

EPISODE 28: Why You Can't Stop Overeating

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SHOW NOTES

(0:00) Intro

(0:44) Introducing today’s topic: Why You Can’t Stop Overeating:

  • There are both physical and mental reasons why we overeat.

  • Today, we are diving into the mental and mind reasons that lead us to overeat.

(2:10) What does it mean to overeat?

  • Overeating is eating more than your body needs, when you are not hungry, and you when you don’t actually want to!

  • Even if there are physical reasons for overeating, it will take a mental change to overcome it.

  • I can give people the physical tools to reach their goals, and a lot of times they just don’t do it, why? Because it all starts in the mind.

  • Whatever happens in the physical, it starts in the mental.

  • Spirit, mind, and body – In that order!

 (5:15) Briefly, some the physical reason that can lead us to overeat:

  • Nutritional deficiencies

  • Overgrowth of gut bacteria

  • Not being metabolically flexible

  • Not digesting well

  • Metabolic hormones: Lectin and Ghrelin can be off.

  • Dopamine response 

(5:50) Digging into the meat of the mental reason that lead us to overeat:

  • #1. Habit:

    • A lot of us overeat purely just out of habit. Clean plate club, anyone?

    • I have a habit of picking leftover food off of my kid’s plate. 🙈

    • Popping food into your mouth while cooking.

    • Gaining an awareness about these habits while fasting.

      • In Feast 2 Fast we use and app called Zero to track our fasts!

  • The brain is always looking for things that you do over and over.

    • Repeated actions create neural pathways or “grooves” in the brain.

    • It can be hard to break old habits and create new habits.

    • The first step is to realize what habits are making you overeat.

(11:15) #2. Desire or Urge:

  • We want what we want and food tastes good!

  • Dopamine response: neurotransmitter that fires off the reward centers of the brain.

    • Here’s the problem: Sugar and processed foods, they are intensely flavorful.

    • They are designed to LIGHT UP the dopamine receptors in our brain.

    • Real food cannot compare to this chemically laden processed foods.

    • Hyperpalatable, overstimulating foods.

  • What do we do to overcome that?

    • When we feel that urge or desire to eat something, recognize that desire, and do not answer it. 😬

    • Feeling the discomfort of wanting it, and not getting it.

    • Any kind of change that you’re going to make, any results that you want to get to better yourself, is going to come on the other side of discomfort.

    • Change is hard.

    • Be present with the discomfort.

    • When it comes to overeating – recognize that urge and desire knocking on your brain, and ignore it.

 (20:31) #3. Response to a Feeling or Emotion:

  • Identifying what emotions and feelings drive you to eat when you’re not hungry.

  • Filling a void or an uncomfortable feeling with food.

  • Trying to be a WOW Mom (Wine on Weekends only) 😂🍷

    • Identify the emotions and triggers for eating food and drink

  • I am currently working on navigating the feeling of guilt around wasted food.

    • We are responding to emotions that we’ve carried around for a long time.

    • Realization: Overeating does not do anything to help these starving people in the world, I am only doing a disservice to myself!

  • Find that place for yourself where you are responding to emotion.

(28:01) The results are on the other side of discomfort.

  • Feeling the feels of frustration.

  • Let’s have some perspective here!

    • Godggles

  • Reminder: Responding to emotions through food and drink makes us feels good in the moment, BUT it’s a fleeting moment. It doesn’t solve the problem that drove us to eat and drink to begin with!

  • It doesn’t serve us to respond to feelings with food or drink.

(30:52) Recap!

  • Habits that get engrained in us:

    • Grooves in our brain

    • Repeated behavior

  • Identify habits

  • Identify emotions

  • Sit in the presence of our emotions and desires, and in the discomfort of overcoming that moment.

  • This is just straight up mind work, ya’ll!

 (32:14) Helpful and Hopeful Notes:

  • ”Getting your Ruth on”

    • And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. Ruth 2:14

  • Be mindful and ask yourself questions:

    • Are you really hungry?

    • Sometimes what we think is hunger is often a craving or thirst.

    • Mind, throat, belly, pause

      • Is this in my mind? Is this a craving?

      • Pause, feel in your throat, are you thirsty?

      • Feel in your belly. Is it true hunger?

 (35:31) Your New Mantra!

  • Results are on the other side of discomfort.

  • Feel and understand your emotions.

    • #feelthefeels

  • “Brain Dump”

    • What are the habits that you have right now that lead you to overeat?

    • What are your trigger foods?

    • What are the emotions that lead you to overeat?

    • In time, you will begin to see you patterns.

  • Full spirit, mind, and body for health and wellness!

(38:52) Outro & Disclaimer

Thanks for listening! Have a healthy and blessed week!

XOXO,

Chelsea