Gail was disappointed.
She told me, “On our family trip to Disneyland, I was determined to stay away from snack foods. But two hours into the first day, I’d already eaten a bunch of tortilla chips and a bag of caramel corn.
That evening, when I thought about head hunger and my crunchy foods, I realized I wanted to chew on the costs for admission and the long lines for all of the rides. Together these things added a lot of extra stress to the vacation.”
In my last post, I talked about head hunger and how craving chewy or crunchy foods can indicate you want to “chew” on something (or someone) in your life. Like Gail, often you don’t even realize what’s bothering you until afterward.
Stress, anger, deadlines, even irritating people can all send you looking for chewy or crunchy foods. In fact, any kind of pressure-inducing emotion can cause head hunger.
But sometimes, head-hunger emotions are more sneaky. Frustration, resentment, feeling overwhelmed or burned out, even the desire for fun or excitement can also cause head hunger cravings.
If you aren’t aware of any obvious pressure emotions such as anger or stress, you may want to see if more subtle, hidden feelings are causing you to eat.
It’s not fair!
Carol thought she was doing fine. She had a good job, a nice apartment, and plenty of friends. Some day, she hoped to meet a great man and get married again, but for now, she had adjusted to being single. It took Carol a long time to recognize that her food struggles were related to bitterness over the loss of her marriage.
“Most days when I arrive home from work, I head straight for the cupboard where I keep a supply of peanut M&M’s. I always think I’ll just have a few of them before dinner, but I often end up eating an entire bag.
Three years ago, my husband became involved with a female coworker and eventually left me for the other woman. I thought I’d worked through my feelings, but I guess I’m still very bitter about what happened.
When I come home to my silent apartment, I fight to avoid the memories of happier days when my marriage was strong. I grab the crunchy candies and chew on being single—-a lifestyle I never wanted!”
I don’t want to think about it!
If you have trouble being honest about feelings such as anger, food helps you avoid thinking about your emotions. Mary Ann’s husband was always very critical and demanding.
“Whenever I’m talking to him, I try to predict his reaction and plan what to say so he won’t get upset. Often it doesn’t work and he blows up at me or belittles my opinions.
I wish I could be more open, but I can’t take his verbal abuse if he doesn’t like what I say. So I cautiously tiptoe around the house, often not talking much at all. I also sneak into the kitchen a lot, where food helps me think about other things. It also helps me shove away my resentment.”
This week, focus on recognizing your most common head-hunger situations and emotions. Then start looking for simple actions you can do instead of eating.
Your list might include things such as taking a short walk or listening to music. Also, remember that eating won’t change your problems. It simply postpones what you really need to do to cope with life.