AYURVEDA PERSPECTIVE ON UNCONTROLLABLE COMPULSION TO EAT

There are several reasons one may feel an uncontrollable impulse to eat. Perhaps you have an overactive or hyperthyroid gland that is burning up your food immediately and leaving you with a ravenous, seemingly uncontrollable sensation of hunger. Another possibility is that you are simply not eating enough, or have irregular eating habits that confuse the body and lead to abnormal hunger cues. You might also be compelled to eat for emotional reasons, possibly using food as a distraction or mechanism of avoidance. Either way, compulsions can tell you about your mental and physical state.

A likely cause underlying a strong appetite for food is deprivation. When you restrict yourself and try to assert your will, your body is likely to rage back at you full-force. Many times, people who struggle with food will set rules for themselves (no sugar today, no food before noon, etc.) and then find themselves feeling frenzied and out of control later once they are around food. The more you try to restrict yourself, the more you find yourself pre-occupied with eating the very same thing. Harsh diets, restrictions, and rules confuse your body more than anything. When the body rebels, you'll feel the pain of self-defeat, and that scary feeling that you're out-of-control around food.

Ease up on your rules, maintain a regular eating schedule, and let your body self-regulate. Whenever you eat, pay attention. Remember how to the food makes you feel, so you can train your tongue.

When you feel an overwhelmingly strong compulsion to eat, take a moment to reflect. What does the compulsion feel like, emotionally and also physically? Where do you feel the tension and intensity in your body? Indulge slowly as well - fully tasting and experiencing the food. Eat slowly so your body has time to tell you how much it really wants. Trust your body to self-correct these compulsions when you bring mindfulness to your meals. Realizing and leaning into the discomfort, instead of trying to control it, may be your ticket to freedom.