The 6 Eating Styles that will never be solved by following a diet

The clock eater

No this doesn’t mean that you eat clocks. The clock eater eats depending on what time it is. Many of us consider certain times to be breakfast time, lunch time and dinner time.

Not forgetting tea break time and snack time. We even use these phrases regularly in conversation when we make an arrangement to meet someone at lunch time. 

This is not the worst thing in the world but it still means that you are responding to the clock rather than to the needs of your body. 

The time becomes an instruction to eat whether you’re actually hungry or not.

The stress eater

The stress eater uses food to soothe themselves. It becomes a way of boosting their mood and distracting them from difficult thoughts or emotions. 

The problem is that the relief is temporary isn’t it. A brief moment of relief is followed by the usual joyful helping of disappointment and self loathing.

The pleasure eater

The pleasure eater has decided that food is the ultimate pleasure. His or her motto is, any experience in life is made infinitely more enjoyable when accompanied by a nice big serving of high calorie delights. 

But once again the emotional side effects that follow are unpleasant and guaranteed. 

The big portion eater

The big portion eater is terrified of not getting enough food. This type of thinking often has its origin in childhood.

He or she will load their plate up with as much food as they can fit on it. No such thing as too much in their book.

The speedy eater

The speedy eater wolfs down their food in a rapid eating frenzy. 

Not only does that mean that he or she doesn’t take the time to truly savour the tastes and textures of their food but more importantly it means that the stomach doesn’t get the chance to signal to the brain that they are full. 

Eating slowly and mindfully is the solution here. Setting rules such as chewing each mouthful 30 times before swallowing and putting your knife and fork down afterwards for a few seconds can really help to break this pattern. 

The fantasy eater

The fantasy eater dreams and fantasises about their next eating experience. They create images in their mind that depict the foods of choice as tantalising and irresistible. 

Think Marks and Spencer’s Christmas adverts. They have them running in their minds on a permanent loop all year round. 

They sit at work or at home revelling in their food dreams and looking forward to trying to live them the first opportunity they get. 

Different as these eating types may seem they all have one thing in common. 

None of these patterns can be changed by following a diet.

In each instance it’s the relationship with food and the thinking style associated with it that must change. 

That’s where I can help. By training the mind to respond differently to food you can find a permanent solution rather than one that will last you until the end of January.