Consider This

Many people struggle with eating when they are not actually hungry. At night it seems to be a common time. It has become such a common thing to expect to have a snack in the evening or dessert after dinner. Sometimes we are eating out of biological hunger, boredom, stress, or avoiding other feelings. Whatever the reason, food alone offers a reward for the behavior.

Whatever the reason, food alone offers a reward.

Food has a built in reward, especially the more salt, fat, sugar combination it has. We have easy access to some highly potent food. You don’t have to be hungry to enjoy the taste of a favorite item. If you eat without hunger, you will still be rewarded.

We are wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Feelings?… Might be painful. Eating?… Sounds delicious and will help me avoid those feelings. Even the anticipation of pain can make us want to avoid it.

Consider this when you are trying to break a habit of eating when you are not hungry, for whatever reason. That is why it is hard. You are taking away a reward. When you learn the skill to feel your real feelings, that has value in it. When you practice stress management instead of eating your stress, that has a double benefit. You might learn something to reduce stress and not gain unecessary weight. When you meet the real need instead of eating it away, you learn to meet your real needs. It isn’t a short term gain but a long term gain. It might be short term discomfort and build your discipline muscle. It gives you the potential for long term gain. The kind that comes from understanding yourself through your feelings and needs.

A resource:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6550161/