Managing Food Noise: Do You Really Need to Silence Your Thoughts About Food?

What if the thoughts and feelings you have around food are not automatically a problem that needs to be eliminated?In this episode, I’m taking a deeper look at food noise and why I think the conversation needs more nuance than simply trying to silence every thought about food.Yes, the food and weight loss industries have learned how to use our natural cues, emotions, cravings, and eating behaviors against us. Foods are intentionally developed and marketed to make us want more, and we are surrounded by messaging about food all day long. That matters.But that does not mean having thoughts and feelings about food makes you weak, undisciplined, or out of control.Those thoughts can also give you useful information. They can tell you when you are hungry or full. They can help you recognize whether you are actually enjoying what you are eating. They can also give you an opportunity to notice guilt, shame, anxiety, stress, habits, and other patterns that may be influencing your choices.The answer does not have to be letting food noise run wild or trying to shut it off completely.I believe your answer is probably somewhere in the middle.We’ll talk about learning to navigate food without turning it into a game of willpower, recognizing how much more experience you have now than you did earlier in your journey, and rebuilding trust in your ability to make decisions around food.I also share why kindness and compassion toward yourself matter, why guilt and shame do not need to be part of your eating plan, and why learning to trust yourself may be one of the most important skills you develop for your long term health and fitness.You have more tools, experience, and awareness than you probably give yourself credit for.You are capable of figuring out what works for you.Continue the conversation around food noise by joining the Your Level Fitness live streams:yourlevelfitness.com/stream