Do you struggle with overindulgence over the holiday season? Does that Christmas lunch get you every year? Every year without fail the majority of us struggle with an excessive amount of guilt from overeating at family events.  Some will argue that the New Year is for setting fitness and lifestyle goals to recover from a stressful year, but it can also be really tough as you are left having to deal with the consequences of your decisions.

Where does the need to overindulge come from?

There are two possible reasons why someone may overindulge, especially when it comes to food

The first reason is emotional

Most of the times when people seek help for eating disorders or struggles with food. You will often see them get referred to a mental health professional as well as a doctor or nutritionist. This is because we tend to use certain behaviours to cope with emotional issues such as self-esteem, thoughts on body image and even depression. Therefore, knowing the cause of your overindulgence is important. Are you overindulging in response to feelings of loneliness or even a sense of detachment from yourself? Does overindulging make you feel safe?

The second reason is because of psychical and biological issues

Many may not know this but it is possible to overindulge because it physically feels good. In fact when you enjoy your favourite foods, your brain releases a feel-good hormone called dopamine which is the same hormone we release when we eat sugar or drink alcohol. When your brain gets used this release of dopamine it starts to form an addiction.

Be mindful

To curb overindulgence, it is important that you remain mindful of how much food your body needs at all times. You should also take note if there are any other factors contributing to an unhealthful lifestyle like stress or lack of sleep when planning meals and snacks for yourself as well as others who may depend on these things from time-to-time too!