The Overeating Response

At the core of your over- eating trigger, albeit an event, situation, issue or relationship, there is a feeling which tickles a thought for food, which develops into a desire, which takes on a life of its own and becomes an action.

This is the root of your overeating response: feeling leads to thought, thought leads to desire, and desire leads to action.

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"This is the root of your overeating response: feeling leads to thought,
thought leads to desire, and desire leads to action"

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It helps you to know about this journey from feeling to action, from thinking about food to overeating, so that you can gauge to what extent your trigger controls you.

Here are four stages of awareness in the process of regaining control of your life:

• Post-Awareness: after the act, when it's too late: "I wasn't hungry. I ate because I was upset."

• During-Awareness: while you're in the act: "I'm eating even though I'm not hungry, and I see I'm upset."

• Pre-Awareness: before the act, when a thought is not yet fully planted: "I can tell I'm upset and my impulse is to grab some chocolate."

• Full-Awareness: watching the whole process as a feeling turns into action. "I know I'm upset. I'll watch myself. I'll be more aware and not make the usual escape to food."

By becoming aware of where you are with your trigger, you have a better chance of catch- ing the feeling before it be- comes a thought, a desire or an action. Don't try to stop or change your triggers, simply use awareness instead.

© 2004 Dr. Brian Alman