We all eat, right? It’s a basic need of life. The question is, why are we eating, other than the obvious reason? How do our eating habits form? I think people eat for all kinds of different reasons. People eat because they are happy, sad, stressed, bored, and probably all kinds of other reasons.
Food is a big part of our lives and not just because it provides nutritional value and keeps us alive (because if that’s all it was for there would be a lot less options at the grocery store and restaurants). Food is usually a big part of being social, whether you’re just getting together for dinner with a friend or attending a big party or celebration. You might be aware of the specific reasons you eat and you may not be. For many people those underlying reasons play a major role in the struggle so many people have in relation to food (eating habits) and health.
Know the “Why” of your eating habits
It’s hard to find a solution without knowing where the problem is coming from to begin with. If you have no idea why you are eating in an unhealthy way, how can you make a change in your eating habits that will last? So, the first step is to figure out the “why”. Don’t worry, you probably don’t need to be psychoanalyzed to get to the bottom of it. It might be as easy as keeping a journal for a few days or maybe a couple of weeks.
You can do this the old fashioned way with paper or pen or on your phone (which most people have on them a majority of the time). Keep it simple. Every time you eat anything, even if it’s just one bite of something, write it down. You don’t have to figure out how many calories are in it. Just estimate the portion size of each thing.
Along with what you ate, write down how you were feeling at the time you ate. Were you hungry, tired, happy, sad, bored, anxious, etc.? Remember, nobody else is going to look at this (unless you want them to) so be honest about what you ate, how much you ate, and how you truly felt at the time. The only person that you’ll be cheating is you, if you aren’t honest about it.
After you feel like you have enough days of journaling to get a good representation of your normal eating habits, go back and look at what you have written. Don’t feel guilty or ashamed about any of it. You’re doing this to make a healthy change and take control of your eating habits, so you should feel good about taking steps to improve. Pay close attention to how you were feeling when you ate. Do you see a common emotion that coincides with your eating habits? If so, you’re one step closer to solving the problem.
Change the habit
After knowing what may be triggering the unhealthy eating habit, you can now work on changing it! The best way to do that is to identify ways to cope with these emotions in new ways. Think of a time that you were feeling this way and you did something other than eat that helped you. Maybe you were feeling really stressed about something and instead of grabbing a carton of ice cream or a glass of wine you went for a run or called a good friend that you enjoy talking to.
Make a list of the emotions that usually trigger eating and a list of alternative options that help alleviate those negative emotions. Next time you start feeling a certain way, you can check back on that list and opt for one of the healthier alternatives. Not only will cut down on unhealthy eating habits, but you’ll increase your mental well being without the guilt you may feel later from trying to use food as a coping mechanism.
Maybe your eating isn’t triggered by negative emotions. Perhaps, you eat because you are happy or because you have a lot of social engagements that involve food. Identifying this is still an important step. If you eat just because you are happy, then use that happy energy and focus on a fun activity or hobby instead of eating.
If you find yourself in a lot of social eating situations, plan ahead. You usually know ahead of time if you’ll be going to a party or other time of gathering where food is involved. Plan your day to include healthy eating before the event and don’t go to the event hungry. It will be easier to stick to smaller portions and avoid the unhealthier options while you’re there. Try to limit alcohol as well, since it lowers your inhibitions and can lead to overeating. It’s even ok not to eat anything at all while you’re there if that’s what you want to do. Don’t worry about how other people feel about what or if you eat at parties. This is about you and making the right choices for yourself.
Change the foods to change eating habits
Maybe after journaling, you find that you are just eating because you’re hungry. In that case, you’re probably just not making the healthiest choices of food or just going overboard. You might be going for convenience over nutritional value because your not thinking about what you might eat until you feel hungry. If this sounds like you, then the best thing for you to do is make a plan ahead of time. Plan out the foods you’re going to eat each day and do any prep work ahead of time it needed. If you have healthy foods planned and ready to go ahead of time you don’t have to reach for those quick and easy chips, candy bars, or whatever your “go to” might be.
The main thing I hope you take away from this is that most people aren’t eating because they are hungry for the most part. Eating is done passively without giving the food much thought. It’s done for so many reasons. We struggle with feeling and being unhealthy because we don’t give much thought to the root of the problem. Many of us eat without planning and thinking, and then we feel guilty and unsuccessful in our journey towards good health.
Taking control of your emotions, thoughts, and actions is the first step to a healthy eating lifestyle. It might take a little work, but you’re worth it!
