I Can’t Stop Eating: Causes And Solutions

When there is a lack of willpower to stop eating, there may be an underlying emotional cause. Can’t help but eat? Do you know how to overcome this phenomenon?

Are you hungry all the time? Can’t help but raid the fridge in the middle of the night? Likewise, do you eat more than you want and then feel guilty?  If you feel like you can’t stop eating, it’s highly likely that the problem is emotional, at least for the most part.

The feeling of not being able to control the ingestion of food can be overwhelming. Indeed, the guilt of hurting oneself, not only in appearance but also in health, is very present. Yet you don’t know how to stop. Either way, the solution is to change your relationship to food. We explain more in this article.

Why can’t I stop eating?

Food is an essential function for our survival. It is the way the body gets the nutrients it needs to function day in and day out. The problem lies in the quantity of food ingested, and in particular the choice of these foods.

In general, people who have difficulty limiting themselves in food choose foods with low nutritional value and high caloric value. But what is it that leads to these harmful behaviors?

Disconnection from one’s own body

One of the reasons for excessive food intake is the inability to identify one’s own bodily sensations. At birth, each being is programmed to recognize the hunger signal and act accordingly. In this case, cry for satisfaction.

However, over time, the connection to these interoceptive sensations is lost. This happens for several reasons. First of all, because food is associated with meetings, company, and interaction with others. Eating then becomes a social and enjoyable act beyond its nutritional value.

On the other hand,  the accelerated rhythm of our current life as well as the stress become an obstacle to the pause and to the listening of the body. This therefore reduces the ability to identify real hunger, boredom, or the desire to share that moment of social connection.

Emotional hunger

Another aspect that makes it difficult to stop eating out of desire is emotional eating. This concept refers to using food as a regulator of emotions. Have you noticed that you eat more when you are anxious, sad, exhausted or disappointed?

There is an explanation for this. Indeed,  certain foods stimulate the cerebral pleasure circuit  because they release various neurotransmitters which cause pleasant sensations. Therefore, if ingested, we perceive relief, satisfaction and pleasure.

But, unfortunately, this is a transient state which is by no means an effective or permanent solution. After a short time, the pleasant effects disappear and the unresolved emotions return. Also added to the guilt of eating out of control.

Restrictive diets

If you’ve struggled with problems with food for some time, you’ve probably already experienced this paradoxical situation: going on very restrictive diets can increase the urge and uncontrolled desire to eat unhealthy foods.

Adopting a diet that is too rigid, which prohibits certain foods, usually leads to increased anxiety about eating. Thus, it is impossible to follow the diet without falling into compulsive behaviors.

Likewise,  it may be that we quickly regain the weight that we lost after so much effort. The body is effectively asking what has been taken away and restricted so drastically.

What can I do to stop eating?

Obviously, food is essential to survive. It is therefore not an activity that can be avoided as is the case in other types of addiction. In this case, the solution comes down to modifying his relationship to food by giving it back its nutritional function and starting a conscious diet.

For this, it is essential  to reconnect with your body and learn to listen and interpret the signals it sends. In other words, it’s about recognizing real hunger, or emotional hunger because of stress or anxiety.

In addition,  it is important to acquire and develop useful and effective coping strategies to cope with these negative emotional states.

The goal is to stop using food as a regulator of emotions. You have to learn other ways to deal with these emotions. The emotional breakdown, writing therapy or meditation are alternatives that can be interesting.

Finally, establish a healthy relationship with food. This means that we must stop perceiving it as an enemy or as a consolation. Remember that food is only the fuel your body needs. So learn how to choose them according to your nutritional needs.

The main thing is to eat a healthy and balanced diet, without banning or demonizing any food group. In other words, eat moderately and, most importantly, be aware of what you are doing.