Food on your mind all the time? Read this to find out why and how to make it stop
6th May 2022
Food on your mind all the time? Read this to find out why and how to make it stop
Every morning, every afternoon, and every night, do you consider food? Your food search is over. You've come to the right place.
We don't mean the way you feel when you think about food constantly, such as your excitement about a delicious dinner at home, a new snack you can't wait to try out, or the way you feel when you think about a fun upcoming dinner with friends.
Intrusive thoughts are what we're talking about. You don't particularly want to think about these things, but they just keep popping back into your head anyway, and they feel controlling, incessant, and make you feel like you are obsessing over food.
IS FOOD ALWAYS ON YOUR MIND?
A relationship with food that has become all-consuming is one of the tell-tail signs of imbalance. As your food-related thoughts dominate your thoughts and decisions increasingly, you might find that the food you eat becomes the centre of your life, or that food controls your everyday actions too much.
We can't let food take over our lives, even if it's a joyous part of our lives. It becomes detrimental if it starts controlling your behaviour. For example, whether you go to social events or not.
The mentality of Going All-In
It's common to find that individuals are in a state of being "all-in" with their relationship with food when they are always thinking about food to the point of exhaustion.
The concept of being "all-in" means considering food solely as a means of physical nourishment, which means we believe food serves only one purpose. There is no priority placed on enjoyment and experience here, and often these factors are overlooked.
The danger of this mentality is that it can lead to tracking your intake, carefully planning your meals, and second-guessing your choices or actions when they are not driven exclusively by nutrition.
In essence, being all-in means practising intense focus when it comes to food and nutrition.
Think all the time and you'll end up with nothing
As you read this, some of you may nod your head in agreement. Your mind is probably thinking, "Yeah, I agree with you.". "How can that be a problem?”
Nutrition is important to nourish our bodies, so I'm doing what's best for my body when I prioritise nutrition."""
This way of thinking brings a certain level of boredom to eating, which is not enjoyable. When you eat for mental requirements or goals, it starts to feel like a chore. Feeling stressed, anxious, guilty or overwhelmed by eating for mental requirements starts to feel like a chore.
A negative relationship with food is created by only thinking of it as physical nourishment.
The constant thought of food can become tiring. We eventually become exhausted and can't continue. What's next? After we reach a breaking point, what happens? We immediately reverse course. Our minds are suddenly swept up in an "all-out" mindset.
The mentality of "all-out"
My point is about the all-out mentality or cycle. If we go from extreme to extreme, that is what we do with our lives. If you think about food constantly, chances are that you are or have been in this cycle. Occasionally, or perhaps every once in a while, you feel burned out. When your body simply cannot take it anymore.
Consequently, food is no longer considered a means of physical nourishment as you suggest we forget about it. Is there something I can do to feel instantly gratified? Right now, what can I do to feel healthy and enjoy life through food? Eating for pleasure, mindless eating, or for emotional reasons may appear like binge eating. Ultimately, you feel stressed and guilty.
FOOD IS ON YOUR MIND A LOT - WHY
Food is black and white to you because it's always on your mind. Your life is controlled by this stressor. There are two types of eating: eating for enjoyment or eating for nourishment.
You can't have it both ways.
A RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD THAT IS IN BALANCE
Developing a balanced, sustainable relationship with food is the only way to overcome this so that you stop constantly thinking about food.
Food should be enjoyed and nourished in a balanced relationship.
A fulfilling and enjoyable meal plan is one based on knowing how to prepare meals that make you feel satiated and energised and that are also satisfying and enjoyable to you.
Where you can still prioritise nourishment while enjoying your life.
Isn't that awesome? So let’s talk about how you can start to heal your relationship with food today.
Maintaining a Balanced Diet
Consider your thoughts, habits, and tendencies regarding the "all-in" and "all-out" tendencies we discussed. What are the conditions that lead to you going all-in? How do you plan to go all-out? When faced with certain scenarios, stressors, or triggers, influence your behaviour in the way?
Reflection and compassion will get you started. As soon as you become aware of your tendencies, you can begin to change them so you can build new ones.
EXERCISE BALANCE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD
This process takes time, empathy, and curiosity. Because of this, it’s not something we expect you to be able to do all on your own! This is the exact reason why we created the Mindful Nutrition Method.
We walk you through the steps for healing your relationship with food. We teach you how to build a new relationship that allows for growth, stability, and support.
Sign up to watch my free masterclass today, where you’ll learn about the #1 Habit That Keeps You Struggling With Your Weight and your Relationship With Food — And How To Break Free From The Diet And Food Obsession Starting Now. You don’t need to stress and obsess about food. There is a better way and yes it’s possible to cultivate a positive relationship with food!