Food anxiety is taking up way more of my day than I want to admit. It starts before I even eat, with thinking about what I’m allowed to have, how much, and whether I’ll regret it afterward. Then it sticks around after meals too, replaying everything in my head.
I’ve started noticing how many normal moments get interrupted by it. Making plans if food will be involved, avoiding certain things, checking how I feel in my body, trying to convince myself I’m not hungry when I probably am. It’s exhausting, and honestly a little scary because it feels like my whole day can get organized around eating or not eating.
I don’t want food to be this constant source of fear. I’m trying to be honest about how bad it’s gotten instead of brushing it off as just being “careful.” I think admitting that this is taking over is probably the first step toward getting some help.
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Courtney, the part about trying to convince yourself you aren’t hungry really hit me. Hunger is a body signal, not something I should have to argue with or earn the right to notice.
I once skipped a family meal because I was afraid of regretting what I ate, and I spent the whole evening thinking about food anyway. Telling someone I trusted helped me see that this had moved beyond being “careful.” Reaching out for professional support sounds like a good next step.
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@Justin_Weaver, skipping a family meal and still spending the evening thinking about food sounds so draining. That fear can end up taking more from you than the meal ever would.
I’m glad telling someone helped you recognize it had gone beyond being “careful.” I’ve found that saying these thoughts out loud can make them feel less powerful, even when they’re still there. Reaching out for support seems like a really worthwhile next step.
@Justin_Weaver, realizing that hunger isn’t something you have to earn really stuck with me. I used to treat feeling hungry like proof I’d done something wrong, which only made meals more stressful.
The thing that helped me was telling one trusted person before a family meal that I might need encouragement to eat normally. Having someone who knew what was going on made it harder to quietly skip it and spend the rest of the night obsessing.