Obsessed with Food: What It Means and How to Change It

Obsessed with Food: What It Means and How to Change It

Everyone loves food, and it’s natural to enjoy eating – but what happens when you are literally obsessed with food, thinking about it constantly, making it very difficult for you to lose weight? Most often there are emotional causes behind food obsession. You aren’t really obsessed with food – you are expressing a deeper emotional need that is being expressed through food.

That may sound complex, but it’s actually very simple. Below are a few common reasons why you may feel obsessed with food:

Obsessed with Food Cause #1 – You Feel Deprived

If you are dieting – and especially if your diet is very strict – you may simply feel deprived, which makes you crave everything you aren’t allowed to have. The more you try to restrict your food intake, the more obsessed you’re going to get about it! One good way to overcome this obsession is to create a new rule for yourself: you can eat anything you want, but only small portions occasionally. This may not work if you choose to follow a very strict diet that omits certain food groups, or only allows you to eat specific foods. In that case, you may be able to concoct some replacement foods that are just as good (like substituting mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes on a low carb diet).

Obsessed with Food Cause #2 – You Are Afraid to Be Without

Obsessed with Food: What It Means and How to Change It

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Fear of scarcity can often make you feel obsessed with food, even if you aren’t hungry right this minute. Just the thought that you MIGHT not have enough to eat can make you feel panicky and tense. A good way to overcome this obsession is to keep reminding yourself that you aren’t going to run out of food. You’ll still be able to eat 3 meals a day, and maybe even some snacks, so you don’t have to focus on food constantly.

Obsessed with Food Cause #3 – Food is a Crutch

If you often use food as a crutch or for emotional comfort, you may have a difficult time sticking to a diet. You may feel like you need food to help you get through the day, and when you aren’t eating you feel anxious, irritable, and vulnerable. Food is almost like a shield for you, buffering you from the painful moments in life. If this rings true for you, develop some other coping tools that don’t involve food. For example, meditation, assertiveness training, deep breathing, and stress management techniques. When you learn how to comfort and nurture yourself, you no longer feel the need to use food to do it, and the food obsession disappears.