Quieting “Food Noise” - 5 strategies that can help!

As human beings we literally need food to survive. Food is also often the centerpiece to social activities and can bring enjoyment to our lives.

But what if “food noise” is robbing us of that enjoyment? Having some thoughts about food is normal! However, if thoughts about food are consuming you - it can be exhausting.

Before I share my strategies for quieting “food noise”, let’s get clear about what is meant by the term:

Food noise is frequent, and sometimes intrusive, chatter about food that is constantly swirling about in your mind. The thoughts are often persistent, sometimes unrelated to actual hunger, and can often result in overeating.

If this is you and you want to improve your habits and relationship with food, these are the 5 tips I recommend as a weight loss nutritionist.

Please note: this is not medical advice. If you feel that you’re experiencing a higher-than-average amount of food noise that is impacting your daily life profoundly, seeking the help of a therapist and/or medication might be the right course of action for you. But for most of us who are simply wanting to think about our food choices less and free up our mental space, these tips will absolutely help.

1. Make a plan for the day (and/or week) ahead of time.

Decide what you’ll eat before you're hungry - when you know what’s available and when you're in the headspace to keep your goals in mind. Make sure to plan treats too! This can look like a simple notebook on your kitchen counter, or you can print out a plan. (Start with one of mine, if you like!)

Planning ahead allows us to use our prefrontal cortex to make the choices that align with our long-term goals. Our primal brain is designed to seek pleasure, and in a moment of hunger, will usually steer us towards immediate reward, rather than the ultimate goal we’re after.

2. Eat full, filling meals that contain fibre, protein & healthy fats.

Keeping your blood sugar stable can reduce cravings, and mitigate hunger that makes food noise worse. This is surprisingly effective. You may not realize that your constant inner dialogue about food is actually just a result of hunger, or imbalanced meals. I’ve had many clients go through my programs, change their diets, and realize that the constant cravings are gone, and food noise is a thing of the past.

3. Embrace mindful curiosity instead of self judgement.

A lot of food noise comes from judging ourselves or judging certain foods as good or bad (when in fact food is morally neutral) Notice where you’re being self critical, and shift to curiosity & self compassion. From there you can make calmer, more relaxed decisions that align with what you really want…and move on.

It’s also so important to let go of other people’s opinions about what you’re eating or not eating. This can be hard for recovering people pleasers, but it will give you so much power back. Confident people don’t care what others think. (We can’t predict or control what people think anyways, and usually they aren’t thinking about us as much as we think they are!) I always like to ask the question: do I like my reasons for this choice? If so, green light.

There is an entire module in my nutrition coaching program about mindset, simply because it’s so foundational to making aligned choices.

4. Be proactive with your environment.

Make your home a “safe space” - don’t stock up on tempting foods. Delete food delivery apps. Order groceries online. For a time, even consume less “foodie” content on tv or online.

This may seem counterintuitive to my general principle that all foods are allowed- but remember we aren’t restricting yummy foods. We’re just creating less decisions for ourselves to make in our immediate surroundings. Delicious foods are always “allowed”, and at the same time, seeing them everywhere and having easy access to them can create constant negotiation in our heads.

5. Use the “decide once” principle.

Thank you to @thelazygenius for this term which is an absolute game changer in so many aspects of life!

Make decisions ahead of time where it serves you. Getting fast food? Decide once that when you go to McDonalds, you only get the burger. Attending a birthday party? Decide once that at birthday parties, you say yes to cake but no to chips.

Remember: These decisions don’t have to be based on a perception of “healthy”. These can be thought of as personal principles… but again, in order for this not to feel restrictive and like a “rule”- it has to be something that truly aligns with what you want to do. If there’s a situation that comes up a lot and you feel yourself constantly negotiating with yourself about, which is taking up a lot of brain space- maybe a “decide once” principle can help.

There is hope if you are suffering from “food noise”! In my experience, the antidote is a combination of working on your relationship with food and your relationship with yourself, combined with building in some habits that give your eating patterns a bit of structure that supports your goals.

Need support? Book a consultation call below and let’s get you back on track to enjoying food without all the noise!