Have you ever felt like you’re trapped in a constant battle with food? Feeling as if the only thing you can think about are what to eat and what not to eat, when you so much want to not think of it at all. This obsession with food can be very draining, ultimately affecting both your physical and mental health.

As someone who has struggled with disordered eating for years, I remember being constantly swayed between feeling as if I had to severely restrict my eating one day, only to give into my uncontrollable cravings the next. But what if I told you there’s a way to break free from this vicious cycle and finally achieve peace, and clarity, with food?

Keep reading to learn what the 3 key strategies are that helped me silence the “food noise” in my head. These are the things I would focus on if I had to go back to my past, that likely would have saved me from years of confusion and internal struggle.

Strategy 1: Eating More to Think Less About Food (And The Science Behind It)

We are constantly bombarded with messages about dieting and calorie counting from social media, but what if that very approach is actually fueling our obsession with food? One of the most surprising things I learned on my journey to food freedom is that eating more can actually help you think less about food. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but hear me out. 

Here’s the science behind it: When we restrict our calories, our bodies go into “starvation mode”. This means our metabolism slows down in an attempt to conserve energy. Ironically, this can actually make it harder to lose weight in the long run.

But more importantly, restriction triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol. These hormones can increase our cravings for high-calorie, sugary foods. It’s a survival mechanism – our body thinks we’re in a dangerous situation and needs quick energy. This explains why after a long day of restricting, it becomes a hundred times easier to give in to those cookies and potato chips in our cupboard.

So, how do you break free from this cycle? You have to start giving your body the nourishment it deserves. That means no more starving yourself, no more skipping meals, and no more having absolute food rules that only make you feel like a horrible person for giving into a yummy food. Undereating is one of the main causes of constant food thoughts (cite). Only once your body is truly nourished, will you find yourself thinking about food less and enjoying it more.

This doesn’t mean giving yourself a free pass to eat whatever you want, whenever you want (a mistake I made in the past), but it does mean allowing yourself to eat what your body needs to feel satisfied. 

How Restriction Makes Food More Tempting

Have you ever noticed how the foods you tell yourself you can’t have are the ones that become most tempting? It’s like the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden – the more we’re told we can’t have something, the more we desire it. We start to believe that these forbidden foods are rare and valuable, which is what makes them harder to resist. Then when we inevitably give into the temptation, we activate the reward system in our brain by releasing a huge surge of dopamine. And that only trains our brain to seek that food again in the future. 

This seemingly perpetual cycle can be incredibly frustrating… but there’s a way to break free. By embracing a variety of foods in our diet, we take away the power of the forbidden foods. When you allow yourself to have these foods in moderation, they become just another option on the table, and the intense cravings start to fade.

Normalizing “Junk Food” and Breaking the Cycle

For many of us struggling with disordered eating, junk food becomes evil in our eyes, something to be avoided at all costs. Normalizing junk food has helped me stop thinking about it as much. I gave myself permission to enjoy it, which drastically reduced the intense cravings that came with restriction. And instead of eliminating these foods, I shifted my focus to creating a balanced diet overall. I aim to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, but I also allow myself to enjoy occasional treats. By normalizing junk food and focusing on overall balance, I was able to break the cycle of restriction and bingeing and ultimately stop being plagued by thoughts of it.

Strategy 2: Surround Yourself with a Supportive Environment

Imagine a friend who approaches food with balance and enjoyment. They don’t restrict themselves or demonize certain foods. They eat intuitively, listening to their body’s hunger cues and stopping when satisfied. They enjoy treats without guilt and prioritize nourishing their body with a variety of foods. This is the essence of a healthy food relationship, and it can be incredibly powerful.

Being around people who embody this approach can have a profound impact on your own perspective. Here’s how:

• Challenging Negative Beliefs: Witnessing someone with a healthy food relationship can challenge your own negative beliefs about food. You might start to question why you restrict yourself or feel guilty about enjoying certain foods.
• Learning Through Observation: You can learn a lot by simply observing how someone with a healthy food relationship interacts with food. Pay attention to their choices, their mindset, and the way they talk about food. This can inspire you to adopt similar practices in your own life.
• Feeling Supported and Understood: Spending time with people who understand your struggles with food can be incredibly validating. It creates a sense of community and belonging, which can be a powerful motivator on your journey to food freedom.

Finding Support When Your Environment Isn’t Ideal

Ideally, everyone would have a support system of people who have healthy relationships with food. But the reality is, our environments aren’t always perfect. Maybe you live with family members who constantly make negative comments about your eating habits.

Here are some strategies on how to navigate this:

• Focus on What You Can Control: You can’t control the behavior of others, but you can control your own thoughts and actions. Focus on building your own knowledge and developing healthy habits, regardless of external influences.
• Limit Exposure (if possible): If certain conversations or environments trigger negative thoughts about food, try to limit your exposure to them. This might involve politely excusing yourself from diet talk or suggesting alternative activities.
• Seek Out Positive Influences Online: Even if your immediate environment isn’t ideal, you can still find support online. There are fantastic communities and resources dedicated to intuitive eating and body positivity.

Strategy 3: Acknowledge, Observe, Don’t Suppress

For years, I believed the key to controlling my eating was to silence the constant chatter about food in my head. Whenever I had a craving, I’d criticize myself for it, trying to push the thought away with sheer willpower. But here’s the thing: suppressing food thoughts only makes them stronger.

Think about it like this: the more you try to ignore a loud noise, the more it becomes deafening. Similarly, the more you try to push away a food thought, the more it fixates in your mind. This can lead to a vicious cycle. Not to mention how this battle to suppress food thoughts can be incredibly stressful and anxiety-provoking, making it more likely to trigger emotional eating.

Many cravings aren’t just about the food itself. They are often triggered by underlying emotions that we may not be aware of. Maybe I’d think about having a sweet treat after a fight with a friend, or having chips after feeling overwhelmed at work. This is where self-awareness became the key to getting rid of food noise.

Self-Awareness: The Key to Uncovering Emotional Triggers

Instead of suppression, I learned a much more effective strategy: acknowledging and observing my food thoughts. Simply start paying attention to that noise in your head. By becoming more attuned to your inner conversation, you can become more aware of the emotional stressors in your life. This way, you can start to address them in healthy ways as opposed to overeating on foods in a futile attempt to suppress those emotions.

Journaling To Get the Thoughts From Your Head to the Paper

One of the most powerful tools I used to uncover emotional triggers and break free from emotional eating was journaling. Whenever I’d get a recurring thought about food, I’d write down my thoughts and feelings about it. Even if it was simply writing about (a) what I was craving, (b) how badly I wanted it, and (c) what emotions am I feeling in that moment.

Putting thoughts and feelings on paper can provide a sense of clarity. Journaling allowed me to understand the deeper reasons behind my cravings, which empowered me to find healthier coping mechanisms.

However, journaling isn’t for everyone. If you’re not very used to writing things down, you will probably find my FREE Craving Tool more helpful. It is designed to help you become aware of the underlying emotions that may be causing you to get a craving, so that you can tackle them. Whether you choose journaling, my Craving Tool, or another strategy, the key is to find a method that works for you to develop better coping mechanisms.

Conclusion: Self-Compassion as A Crucial Ingredient in Your Journey

One of the most important lessons I learned on this journey is the power of self-compassion. It is the key to getting rid of shame and guilt around food, and the foundation for getting rid of food noise. Food freedom isn’t just about changing your eating habits; it’s about transforming your relationship with yourself. This video from The Diary of a CEO gave me a completely new perspective on this. 

Or if you don’t have time to watch it, one of my main takeaways is that we should be patient with ourselves. Whenever you have a harsh criticism about yourself, ask yourself if it’s something you would say to the 8 year old version of yourself. 

And the other main takeaway I had is to accept that setbacks are a normal part of the process. They allow us to learn from our experiences. Self-compassion allows you to forgive yourself for past mistakes and focus on moving forward.

I also have a FREE Mindful Eating Guide, which you can download here.

This guide can help you stop overeating and overcome your cravings, as it dives deep into the practice of mindful eating, providing practical tips and techniques to help you:

• Become more aware of your hunger and fullness cues.
• Manage cravings and emotional eating.
• Develop a peaceful and balanced relationship with food.

Building a healthy relationship with food takes time and effort, but the end result is so worth it. You deserve to feel empowered around food, not controlled by it.