Why Do You Overeat?

Everyone overeats once in a while. Some people overeat more than once in a while, and then there are the people (ahem, me) that overeat most, if not all of the time.

I’m slowly changing my ways and becoming more of a “normal eater”, and by that, I mean normal portion sizes, and consciously eating slower.

So my question for you is: Why do you overeat?

The “Why”

Figuring out the why is the first step in understanding your feelings toward food. Once you can pinpoint this one question (which is HUGE, by the way), you can start to work on the other pieces of the puzzle.

Am I overeating because I feel bad about myself?

why do we overeat — Image by sasint via Pixabay

Everyone has self-doubt every once in a while, but do you feel that way most of the time?

If you’re feeling bad about yourself, what exactly is the “bad” feeling?

Can you put a name on it, such as self-doubt, self-disgust, self-consciousness, or guilt?

Being able to recognize the feeling you are having is a big step in the right direction. Once you figure out what it is you’re feeling, you can continue on the path to the “why”.

Is someone in my life putting me down?

Do I believe what they say?

If so, what is it exactly that is making me believe them?

Is there a certain stressor in my life right now that I’m trying to cope with?

Is my life always stressful?

Am I using food as a crutch to deal with the stress?

What is one thing I can do within the next week to help myself start to overcome the stress?

Is the one thing I can do something realistic?

Am I willing to do it?

Have I always overeaten and don’t think I can stop?

Sometimes overeating is a habit or part of someone’s culture. In the U.S. we place a lot of emphasis on food when we get together with friends and family. It’s hard not to overeat when food is sitting out for the entire get together.

When we want to see a friend, what do we do? Going out to eat is usually the #1 choice because you can sit and chat…and eat. Restaurant portions are very “helpful” in making us overeat.

Am I overeating because I’m afraid I’ll be hungry before it’s time to eat my next meal?

Are you uncomfortable with the feeling of hunger? (I’m not talking starving, just regular old hunger.) Far more people than we know and realize have problems with food.

I went for years eating large meals, with large snacks in between because I was uncomfortable just sitting with my feelings.

Is there a trauma that happened to me that I’m not willing or ready to deal with and food is helping me forget?

Trauma can cause all kinds of problems, obviously. Alcohol and drugs tend to be what a lot of people seek out to get away from their feelings and emotions after a traumatic experience.

Food is another crutch that is used, but not thought to affect us in the same way as drugs and alcohol.

Food (usually sugar) acts on the brain like a drug and gives us a temporary high, a feeling of euphoria.

Can I control my eating?

Do you feel like you have to keep eating?

Do you feel a strong compulsion to eat too much, like you don’t have any control over your actions?

Are you able to stop eating and put food out of your mind when you want to? Sometimes we think we can control things in our lives, but we’re just fooling ourselves.

If you are a compulsive overeater, you have no control over how much you eat because your brain is telling you to keep eating.

Related Quiz: Could You Be a Compulsive Overeater?

Do I think I can control my eating, but in reality, I can’t?

By asking yourself this one question, you are able to open up your mind to the truth about an unhealthy relationship with food.

Acceptance that you have a problem is hard, but when you know in your heart you have a problem, it is such a relief to admit it. Once you admit you have a problem, you can seek the help you need!

What would my life look like if I stopped overeating and gained control of my food habits?

If you often fantasize that losing weight will result in all of your problems disappearing, and you magically having control over your eating, I’m sorry, but it doesn’t work that way.

You have to get down to the root of the problem. The why. If you can’t figure out why you overeat, you’re going to have an extremely hard time staying clean with food.

Final Thoughts

Overeating is not always something people can control. Emotional or stress eating is not the same as compulsive overeating. People who eat for emotional or stress reasons usually only overeat once in a while and stop once they feel full.

Compulsive overeating is a progressive disorder and will only get worse if not properly acknowledged and dealt with.

Compulsive overeaters cannot help themselves and can’t stop with willpower or self-restraint alone. Nothing can stop them from the strong need to keep eating until they admit they have a problem.

There is usually a reason people start overeating and they need a reason to stop.

I hope these questions have helped you in some way, so you can start to understand the question, why do you overeat?