Food Noise Is Not the Only Reason We Eat

What shall I eat? What shouldn't I eat? Have I eaten too much? What can I have later? I'll be good tomorrow.

For some people, thoughts like these run through their minds all day. There's even a name for it: food noise. And it's been getting a great deal of attention, particularly with the growing use of GLP-1-based medications such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.

But what happens to all the other reasons we eat when we're no longer constantly thinking about food?

What is food noise?

Food noise isn't a formal clinical term, but it describes something many people recognise: persistent, sometimes intrusive thoughts about food. What shall I eat next? When can I eat again? What's in the cupboard? I can hear those digestives calling my name! These thoughts can take up an enormous amount of mental space and become mixed up with rules about what we should and shouldn't eat.

One of the benefits people report from GLP-1-based medication is feeling less hungry and spending considerably less time thinking about food. For many, that's a great relief.

The other reasons we eat

I was thinking about this on a recent holiday. I love a hotel breakfast buffet. For the first couple of days, all that choice is wonderful. But after a while, I find myself feeling almost obliged to eat more than I actually want.

After all, breakfast is included in the price. And if I eat enough, perhaps I won't need lunch. We can have supper later and save ourselves the cost of another meal.

Perfectly sensible, isn't it?

Except that I'm now eating a huge breakfast I don't really want, just to avoid paying for a lunch I might actually enjoy. Which is ridiculous, in my mind, because enjoying a lovely lunch is part of being on holiday.

Nobody is making me do this. So where is the pressure coming from?

It struck me that even when medication reduces our appetite and thoughts about food, some of the old pressures may still be there. The ones about money, manners, waste and being good.

We eat because it's socially expected. Think about being offered tea and biscuits when visiting someone, or a pudding that our host has gone to the trouble of making. Food is part of how we connect, celebrate and show hospitality. Refusing it can feel awkward or even rude.

But if I refuse the pudding, am I simply saying no to food, or do I worry that I'm rejecting the person offering it?

Of course, I might choose to have the pudding because I want to share the experience. There's nothing wrong with that. The difference is whether I'm choosing to eat it or feeling obliged to.

We eat because we don't want to waste food. Many of us grew up being told to finish what's on our plates and to think of starving children. Those messages can stay with us for decades, even when we're no longer hungry.

We eat out of habit or because of how we're feeling. Something sweet after dinner, something to nibble while watching television, or food when we're stressed, bored or sad. Sometimes we barely notice we're doing it.

And sometimes we eat simply because something looks delicious. Surely that's allowed too?

When eating becomes another set of rules

When we're trying to lose weight, it's easy to become preoccupied with what we're allowed to eat, what we should avoid and whether we've been 'good' or 'bad'.

But a biscuit is just a biscuit. It can't ruin a whole day.

Yet how often do we hear ourselves say something like this?

I’ve had one biscuit. That’s today ruined so I might as well finish the packet and start again tomorrow.

One unplanned treat becomes proof that we have failed, rather than simply something we have eaten.

I think the language we use with ourselves matters. There's a difference between wanting to make changes and constantly telling ourselves what we must or must not do.

And it isn’t only food we judge. Many of us apply the same harsh rules to our bodies, measuring our

worth by a number on the scales or the size on a label.

Wanting to change and being kind to ourselves aren’t opposites. We can make changes from a place of care rather than criticism and we’re far more likely to stick with them if we do.

Where counselling fits

Counselling isn't about telling us what to eat or how much we should weigh. It can help us understand some of the beliefs and emotions behind our eating habits.

Why do I feel guilty leaving food on my plate? Why does someone else's disappointment feel like something I have to prevent?

Often the most useful question in a session is a simple one. When you hear “you can’t leave that”, whose voice is it?

Understanding where a belief comes from doesn’t automatically make it easier to change. A familiar habit can feel far more comfortable than the guilt or anxiety that comes with doing something differently. Part of the work is learning that we can sit with that discomfort without rushing to make it go away.

But I don't think we need to examine every eating decision. Sometimes understanding why we do something is enough to help us decide whether we want to carry on doing it.

Can we enjoy food without judging ourselves?

I don't want to spend my life analysing every mouthful. Eating is one of life's pleasures, and I certainly don't want to lose that.

I want to enjoy a lovely meal with friends, have a pudding because I fancy it, or occasionally eat something I hadn’t planned to, without feeling that I need to examine my reasons afterwards.

At the end of our holiday, we had a small buffet breakfast so we wouldn’t be “hangry” and then went out for a lunch of our choosing with affogato for dessert. It gave us so much pleasure.

I'd like to be able to leave something I don't want without feeling guilty about it.

And if I occasionally eat something I didn't particularly want?

Perhaps I can stop giving myself such a hard time about it.

Our relationship with food isn’t purely psychological. Hunger, appetite and weight involve complex biological processes and if GLP-1 medication is stopped, appetite and food noise often return. Decisions about treatment are best made with your GP or prescriber. Counselling isn’t a substitute for medical care, and it isn’t about reaching a particular weight. It’s about understanding your relationship with food, whatever your goals.

If your relationship with food is causing you significant distress, or you are worried you may have an eating disorder, Beat, the UK eating disorder charity, offers support and information at beateatingdisorders.org.uk

If any of this resonates and you would like a space to explore your own relationship with food, I am Lucy, an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist working online. I offer a free 20-minute initial consultation, and you can find out more at  www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk