5 Questions I Ask to Prevent Overeating
Overeating used to be the number one sin I would confess at night in my Prayer Journal.
Until one day after I had polished off a box of chocolate almonds and felt sick to my stomach, I prayed in exasperation, “Lord, I’m so sick of not feeling in control of my food!” And He said, “You don’t have to.”
His response stuck with me. I didn’t have to control my food? But if I didn’t, then I would be out of control, right?
Around the same time, I discovered intuitive eating. I felt that when I ate loads of sugar, my heart would race and I would get this headache feeling, and wondered if I was not overworking my body trying to process it all.
I was craving the gospel rest I knew in my spirit to extend to my body. I started listening to my body more, trusting my physical body to know the physical things I needed. I couldn’t guilt myself into good eating. In fact, I needed to throw out the “good” eating labels altogether and stop seeing overeating as a sin (more on this in Aubrey’s post), and see food as a gift from God to be enjoyed, not controlled.
I started asking myself these 5 questions when it came to food, and started writing less in my journal about overeating. I began feeling more satisfied when I ate what I wanted, thought about food less, and enjoyed it more.
Am I hungry?
“Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” John 6:5
Even Jesus noticed that people were wearing themselves out following after Him on foot, and wanted to give them something to eat, something tangible to meet their bodily needs, to show that He can meet all their needs. Food is good!
I used to go by the clock to determine when I should eat, and now I pay more attention to hunger cues like mental hunger (starting to think about food), weakness, aching feeling in my stomach, or rumbly tummy.
Note that these cues may be different for each person. When I’m hungry, I eat. In Aubrey and I’s Body Blessings Journal, we have a hunger scale where you can record how hungry you feel before and after a meal on a scale of 1-10.
When I was first starting intuitive eating, I felt like I was hungry an hour after eating. And I was. I wasn’t eating enough during the last meal and my body told me so. I started eating more during meals and not masking my hunger with sparkling water beverages so I could feel if I was hungry or not. I ate when I was hungry and that’s that.
But I also started noticing that I would eat when I was bored or tired. I was using food as my only coping mechanism, instead of seeing all the wonderful gifts God has given, like taking a nap when you’re tired, taking a moment to close my eyes and pray, or going outside if I was bored.
But I must also not that you don’t have to feel physical signs of hunger to eat. Food is not just for fuel, but for body and soul nourishment. We won’t be hungry in heaven, yet we will still feast. It’s ok to eat chocolate because you’re in the mood. Our bodies and minds know what we need, if we will be humble enough to honor our signals. Then food will can eat with our mouth and not with our mind! We won’t have to think about food constantly because we will eat when we want to, and then go live our life.
What sounds enjoyable?
“So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.” Ecclesiastes 2:24
When I’m ready to eat, I think about what food sounds good. If it’s summertime and I’m hot, I’ll most likely choose something cold and juicy like watermelon or a big salad. If it’s wintertime and I’m cold, I’ll most likely choose something dense and hearty like a bowl of hot soup and crusty bread. Our hunger often aligns with the harvest season.
We can actually digest food better when it is in its peak season, but don’t let that stop you from eating what sounds good even if it’s not in season. Eating in joy helps us open up the most, take in nutrients, and receive nourishment over any other eating strategy. This includes home cooked comfort food that might be deemed “unhealthy.” What’s unhealthy is to force down food that you hate and create an unhealthy relationship with food.
I also think about how I will feel after eating this food. Do I want to feel satisfied enough to go to bed without getting a sugar rush? Maybe I’ll choose to eat a handful of almonds rather than ice cream because it’s easy and will help me fall asleep. Or if I need a good break in the day, I’ll set up the environment for a time of mindful eating and rest without distractions of screens. I can look up at my chalkboard with a seasonal Scripture and be reminded of grace, or sit outside if it’s a nice day. If I’m with people I’ll light candles and be prepared with intentional questions and look for ways to serve. Which brings me to my next question…
Have I paused and prayed?
“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”John 6:35
I noticed that while on a vacation at Disney World, I felt rushed. I had nobody to blame but myself, and realized that even though we tried to pack it all in, I could at least pause and pray before meals.
Taking a few deep breaths and acknowledging God as the giver of life before eating helps reorient my mind and settle my soul. How often do we get to sit and rest and reflect during the day? Meal times are great for this. And bonus, it also helps give our body time to ramp up digestive juices in the form of saliva and readies our mind to focus on the food as something that will nourish us.
Eating mindfully helps me feel connected. I think about what nutrients the food has, the colors, the shapes, the size, the diversity of what I am putting into my body. I ponder all the hands that have gone into the process of getting this food on the table, those who planted, watered, harvested, transported it. I give thanks for my husband who provides money to buy food, and for the animals and plants I am eating.
This process is extremely humbling. I am reminded that I, a sinner, am able to participate in the cycle of creation, and offer up a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the lamb of God who gave His own life so we could live.
Am I full enough?
If I have been in a mindful environment and can pay attention to my meal, I can be more attentive to my body signals telling me I have had enough to eat, like no longer feeling hunger cues, and having more energy and an improved mood. It is also helpful to note this in the Body Blessings Journal to see patterns and how we can eat the most joyfully.
Sometimes if I eat fast or eat in front of entertainment, I am done with my meal and can’t even remember eating. I also don’t give my body enough time to digest and send fullness cues. But when I can stop and breathe and drink some water, I can see if I am full or need to go back for seconds.
Am I satisfied?
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied." Matthew 5:6
Satisfaction is different from fullness. I know when I’m satisfied when I am no longer thinking about food. If I have eaten a bare chicken breast with veggies but really wanted a burger, I probably won’t be satisfied and will go seeking food elsewhere during my day. If I eat carbs for a snack and then feel hungry 30 minutes later, it means I need to add in more fiber, protein, and fat to meals to keep my stomach satisfied and blood sugar stable.
I hope these five questions have helped spark some questions for you as well when you feel out of control around food.
If you’d like a deeper dive into grace-based intuitive health with coaches and a community, please consider joining us in our next round of the 12-Week Joyful Health Course, where Aubrey and I teach women how to ditch diets and eat well, move free, by grace. We hope to see you there!
