Help! I can’t stop thinking about food.
Do you feel like your mind is constantly occupied with thoughts of food?
What you should eat… what you shouldn’t… when your next meal is… if you’ve eaten too much… if you’re being “good” or “bad” with food today…
If this sounds familiar, you’re absolutely not alone. So many people I work with share this experience, and it can be exhausting. Thinking about food all the time can feel like it’s taking over your life.
Let’s take a moment to unpack what might be going on and how to gently shift this pattern.
Why You Might Be Thinking About Food All the Time
First, it’s important to know that your brain isn’t broken. Constant food thoughts are often your body’s way of trying to protect you or meet an unmet need.
Here are some common reasons why food is taking up so much headspace:
1. You’re not eating enough (even if it feels like you are)
Whether it’s from skipping meals, under-eating throughout the day, or following rigid food rules, when your body doesn’t get enough nourishment, it will think about food more. This is a biological response. Your brain is trying to keep you alive by making food a priority. Even if you’re intentionally restricting for “health” or “discipline,” your body still experiences this as deprivation.
2. You’re stuck in the restrict–binge cycle
If you often oscillate between being “good” with food and then “losing control,” your body might be caught in a survival loop. After restriction, both physically and mentally, it's normal to feel out of control around food. And when we judge ourselves for eating, the shame only fuels more disconnection.
3. You feel pressure to “make up for” what you ate
Maybe you had a beautiful meal out with friends, enjoyed dessert, or ate more than usual–and now you feel like you need to “compensate” by skipping meals, eating lighter, or exercising extra the next day.
This kind of thinking often stems from diet culture, which moralizes food and teaches us that we have to earn or undo pleasure. But I’m here to tell you: you don’t need to make up for enjoying food or connection.
Eating out is a normal and meaningful part of life. It doesn’t require punishment. When we stop trying to “fix” our eating, food loses its grip on our thoughts.
4. You’re feeling emotionally disconnected or stressed
Sometimes constant food thoughts aren’t about the food itself, but about comfort, distraction, or control. When life feels uncertain or overwhelming, food can become a coping tool—especially if other supports aren't in place.
5. You’ve been immersed in diet culture
Messages like “you should avoid carbs”, or “you need to burn off your food” can leave you second-guessing everything you eat. Diet culture teaches us to ignore our body’s signals and instead follow external rules, which naturally leads to preoccupation and obsession.
You might be wondering:
Am I eating enough?
Are food rules quietly running the show?
Is this about food—or something deeper?
How do I even begin to feel safe in my body again?
These are big, important questions and you don’t have to navigate them alone.
This is exactly the kind of work I do with clients: helping you untangle food thoughts, understand what’s really going on beneath them, and gently rebuild trust in your body.
You Deserve Peace With Food
If your mind feels noisy around food, if you're tired of the constant overthinking, and if you're craving more freedom, calm, and clarity, I’d love to work together.