Why is it that we feel guilty after overeating and overindulging, and we can’t seem to stop?
Why why why does it feel like you have no self-control when it comes to snacking?
Each bite of that dorito chip has you reaching for more and more. Next thing you know, you are 1,000 calories in and it’s too late to stop… But even though the bag of chips is gone, the feelings associated with it are everlasting.
Why is that?
Why is it that we feel guilty after indulging, and we can’t seem to stop?
Through my personal experiences, studies in psychology, and understanding, this is what I have come to find.
#1 INGREDIENTS:
Scientists are experts at knowing what triggers our brain with chemicals that make us feel good. (They are food scientists for a reason – they study what makes us tick) Dopamine receptors are on fire when sugar and all of the additives that are put in each of these processed goods are consumed. Although it may not have immediate effects in the short term, the accumulation of digesting these certain ingredients can impact our cravings, the way our brain functions, our mood, our perception, and our whole life.
That is why they say, “You are what you eat.”
#2 WATCHING NETFLIX + SNACKING/EATING
When we prop open the bag of chips, put on our favorite show (Gossip Girl in my case) then it’s no wonder you end up 10 minutes in with an empty bag of chips and multiple visits to the fridge!
When you brain is distracted- especially with something like a good T.V show or movie, your brain transfers its attention from what you are doing (snacking) to what’s going on in the screen.
This is why mindful eating is SO SO crucial. Eating mindlessly in front of your TV can result in overeating and overindulging. Although this isn’t bad occasionally (it happens to all of us- it’s a part of life) getting into the habit of this can impact your health very detrimentally.
What’s a few extra calories on a Friday night? But then it gets so comforting and tempting that it starts becoming Friday AND Saturday nights. Next thing you know, its something your brain CRAVES to do everyday, since you have started conditioning it to do so.
Be mindful. Be aware. Eating dinner or snacking while simultaneously watching Netflix may cause you to get into a pattern and cycle that seems never-ending.
#3 YOUR MINDSET
A lot of us claim:
“This is just the type of person I am”
“I can never have _____ in my house, I will eat it all”
“I always finish the whole bag”
This is most of us (me included) I challenge you – challenge that claim about yourself. Resort to find the reasoning as to why you believe and say these things about yourself. Reevaluate, is that the person you want to be?
For some, it is near impossible to change certain habits. Notice how I said “near” There is still opportunity for you to change it. It will require persistence, time, effort, hard work, but it is possible. you have to start by believing that it is, and doing the work behind it.
YOU have the power to change the trajectory of your life, so start today.
#4 SELF TALK
A bag of chips today. A lifetime of negative self-talk for the days, weeks, and months to follow. The bag of chips are harmless. A few hundred calories?
But the negative self-talk that endures is where the true damage lies.
For dieters (most people in the fitness industry) we associate how we look & what we eat with how we feel about ourselves. I.e a “good/lean” physique = happy, a “bad/fat” physique = not happy.
The feelings of hate and blame that consume some of us can lead us to get in a cycle that can destroy our relationship with food. I have personally been there, and it’s been such a struggle to build up the relationship I currently have with food. Some days and weeks are good, some are not.
What has helped me during this is really taking a step back and understanding why I tend to do certain behaviors. Is it after a stressful day? Is it when I am not moving around much? Is it when I start my day off with too much negative self-talk? Once I understood what role food plays in my life, I underwent certain behavior changes that set me up for more successful days.
ALL IN ALL
With that being said, I want to be transparent in saying; we are human. We fall into traps that the world has designed for us to fall into temptations. But it is through that, that we grow, that we get better, that we learn about ourselves, and that is what truly matters. Discovering yourself. What you like, what you don’t like. What triggers you, what doesn’t.
I share these different topics with you, so that we can start the conversation. A lot of topics are often taboo and oftentimes, it feels like we are going through a war all by ourselves. But trust me, you aren’t.
We are all in this together.
Xoxo, Bri
