šÆSPECIFIC Advice From A Therapist: Psychology of Overeating
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Published 2024-02-22
#eatingpsychology #overeating #emotionaleating
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In this video Sarah delves into the often overlooked psychological aspects of overeating, offering concrete and actionable strategies to break free from habitual patterns and regain control over your relationship with food.
The discussion begins by emphasizing the connection between psychology and overeating, challenging the conventional advice solely centered on behavior and nutrition. Sarah highlights the importance of understanding and calming the lower brain, where emotions and primal drives, including appetite, reside.
The first key insight involves calming the lower brain by both ensuring adequate food intake and developing the capacity to process emotions effectively. Sarah introduces a fascinating connection between deep sleep and emotional processing, advocating the use of bilateral stimulation ā particularly through the simple yet powerful "butterfly hug" technique ā to enhance emotional well-being.
The second psychological strategy revolves around shifting the mindset of scarcity. By reframing decisions around food from a binary "yes or no" to a nuanced "now or not now," individuals can alleviate the fear of food scarcity and create a healthier approach to decision-making.
The third stop on the psychological journey focuses on disrupting habitual patterns. Sarah explains how repetitive cycles strengthen neural networks, leading to a sense of inevitability in overeating episodes. To counter this, individuals are encouraged to ask a powerful question ā "What happens if I don't eat this food right now?" ā prompting the brain to imagine alternatives and break free from the cycle.
The final destination in this psychological exploration is the implementation of reverse psychology. Sarah introduces two approaches: planning to eat more, leveraging the law of reversed effort, and, paradoxically, accepting the possibility of perpetual struggle with overeating, thus releasing the internal battle.
In conclusion, this video offers a holistic and actionable guide to address overeating by exploring the intricate interplay between psychology and behavior. Sarah's unique insights and practical techniques provide viewers with a roadmap to transform their relationship with food, promoting emotional well-being and balanced decision-making.
All Comments (21)
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1) butterfly technique ( calm lower brain) 2)now or later on ( avoid saying no and creating a rebellion battle) 3)asking a question - what happens if I donāt eat this food right now ( ask brain to imagine another outcome) 4) plan to eat MORE ( instead of less) Law of reversed effort
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It really does feel like I'm in an endless hopeless cycle. God bless you for sharing these brilliant alternative approaches.
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Another good psychological method is to state positive personalized intentions around weight and food, likeā¦I only eat when Iām hungry, I make healthy food choices, I prioritize protein, I lose weight easily. It gives your mind direction. It works for mood and anxiety as well, likeā¦Iām capable, Iām calm, Iām confident, I like myself, Iām grateful, Iām happy, Iām going to have a great day
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my answer for the question was: But then I will not be distracted from myself. Then I'd have to sit with myself who I (at the moment, not always) hate. And that led me to think about why's that I hate myself in this moment and through having a discussion with myself, I came to the conclusion that I can just love myself and being with myself doesn't have to be so hard
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You are just absolutely BRILLIANT. I have struggled for so long with this. I am almost 58 years old and for the first time I feel hope. I feel like I can do this. I frantically take notes and pause and back up when I watch your videos. So many great tips. Thank you for what you do.
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it's amazing how you described this sense of helplesness, when you ''feel it comming''. it's so true. thank you for the advice, i hope i win this ugly habbit of eating when not even hungry
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I just need to say, you're a very educated and very caring professional in the overeating world. I appreciate your videos. I'm in my 60s. I'm proud to say I come from a family of obesity, and Ive been "around the world" with strict diets, heavy exercising, worked for a gym, ballet, dance, aerobics, became aerobic instructor. But what I did this past 18 years is I create my own program of 10-30 minutes depending on how I feel. I also say with foods: " I COULD have that, but I'm choosing to have something else because I need my energy".
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I have found eating fruit to be helpful. It satisfies the cravings for sweets and I feel full without the guilt.
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The ānoā in my mind leads to compulsionā¦ your video helped me understand the psychology of my eating habits
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Oh wow!!!! I'm here cause my 9 year old over eats so much. He is skinny but he can't stop eating and now I see I did imthus to him because I always tell him no you can't have this. He loves sweets and junk food. So when he's at a party he eats so much he throws up at home. Also we are not calm when he's eating, I was always stressed. This video is bang on to what's happening. It's all because of my anxiety. I'm giving him anxiety. I have to cure this or he will have problems as he gets older. Thank you soooooooo much!!!!
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Sarah, you have become my favorite person on the world wide web ā¤ your Youtube channel has made recovery easier andā¦ it finally makes sense to recover!
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I think that's how I got fat. I get really hostile when I can't eat *right now*. I worked jobs where I couldn't eat until I didn't have a customer in front of me and I would crash so hard. Then I would overeat for breakfast to hopefully avoid the crash, but it doesn't work.
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This is absolutely the BEST video I have seen on this topic!
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one of the best videos EVER about food and the unconcious mind. Thank you, goddess
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When I'm tired I give in. Menopause stopped me from sleeping more than four to five hours. I head straight for the sugar to get through the day. Something has got to change.
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I noticed that sometimes my answer is (to the āwhat would happenā question) that I canāt breathe, I wouldnāt be able to breathe. It seems that what I really need in those moments is not food, but rhythmā¦breath work, maybe a relaxing song and swaying my body to the music (when dancing would be inappropriate)ā¦Thank you, and also for the bilateral soothing method - it works!
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Thankyou so much! Not only was it a very useful video but also very informative and entertaining to watch! As a student in psychology and battling with boulimia nervosa and anorexia in the past for several years, i can say that these tips are very helpful. Iāve used them all actually š
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Love this video, thank you! (Registered dietitian here who appreciates so much the ways in which you talk about the psychology of food! Couldn't agree more with your thoughts at the end).
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i actually only have trouble with sugar and carbs. If I indulge, I binge multiple servings and have extreme cravings for more for days afterwards. It takes 3-4 days before that goes away and then I'm fine, no cravings what so ever. So, I generally don't allow myself to indulge in the first place. Sugar/carb addict.
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I am an emotional eater, I really appreciate your content thank you. Im going to study on bilateral stimulation
