Support for Men Struggling with Overeating
Eating feels good. That’s why it can be hard to recognise excessive eating for what it is: a coping mechanism.
Overeating often ‘feeds’ on stress, loneliness, boredom, and reward loops. It can be the relief you look forward to at the end of a long day or a fast food ritual that gives you a reason to leave the house. The short-term comfort of this eating reinforces the habit even as you feel your health deteriorate.
Like so many things in life, overeating is a problem of ‘time preference’. Eating the foods we like feels good in the short term and can soothe or distract from other kinds of worries. But these benefits don’t last, and over time the costs of our bad habits will accumulate. We get to a point where the misery of what we are doing outweighs the benefits, but it happens too slowly for us to notice.
Beyond financial expense and health complications, the lethargy and inflammation that follow a poor diet are a serious price to pay. Many people continue overeating because they feel they have no other options. When food is our main source of pleasure, healthy living can seem genuinely impossible.
Breaking the loop
Another unfortunate thing about addictive behaviours is that they often come in clusters, and some dependencies like overeating or Porn Addiction can fly under our radar so much that we don’t even realise we’re addicted.
That’s where Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) comes in, with techniques that help you break down and recognise the small rituals and thoughts occurring minutes (and sometimes hours) before the first bite of 2 a.m. pizza. We also practise ‘urge-surfing’ so cravings can rise and fall without forcing us to act.
Overeating is connected with poor sleep, low mood, and alcohol use, so improving any one element can reduce cravings across the board.
With patience and the right approach, it is possible to eat in a way that fuels your activity rather than slowing you down.
Ready to talk?
I offer counselling appointments in Penrith, or tele-health Australia-wide. After hour appointments available. No GP referral required.
The first step is to book a free 10 minute phone chat.