What is Food Noise and How to Quiet It Naturally

Are you constantly thinking about food? Do you have your dinner planned before you finish eating lunch? This incessant internal chatter about food and eating is called ‘food noise,’ and it’s very common. 

Living with food noise can be stressful and make it difficult to control cravings, which can derail your weight loss journey. Thankfully, there are simple, natural ways to help turn down the volume of food noise so you can focus on things besides eating and achieve weight loss success. 

What Causes Food Noise?

One reason people become preoccupied with food is because they've severely limited how many calories they eat. By depriving yourself of food, your brain will naturally prioritize thoughts about eating and getting more energy. This is why the GOLO for Life® Plan emphasizes eating complete, nutrient-dense meals that can keep you feeling full while also helping you lose weight.  

Persistent thoughts about food and eating can happen for emotional reasons. You might crave ultra-processed foods because you associate them with emotional comfort when you’re stressed or bored. You also activate your brain’s reward pathways when you eat something that’s sweet or high in fat. That can lead to obsessing over recreating that feeling on a regular basis. 

Your environment can play a large role when it comes to food noise. Seeing food advertised on billboards, TV, and social media can trigger thoughts about eating, even if you’re not physically hungry. 

Natural Ways to Reduce Food Noise

Fill up on nutritious foods

Eating three complete meals with lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats can help keep you feeling full and prevent you from snacking or grazing between meals.

When you eat, take your time and focus on your body’s hunger and fullness signals. Other mindful eating techniques, like eliminating distractions and paying attention to how your food tastes and smells so you really enjoy it, can help you avoid eating too much.

If you find yourself constantly thinking about food and eating, it may be a good idea to reevaluate your eating habits. If you're following the GOLO for Life Plan, make sure your meals adhere to our 2-1-2-1 philosophy. Otherwise, make sure you're eating enough protein, fiber, and other nutritious food that can keep you full between meals. 

Eat at regular intervals  

Waiting too long to eat can cause excessive hunger that’s nearly impossible to ignore. A little meal prep can go a long way to ensure that you have a healthy meal available before you get so hungry that you can’t think of anything else.

Know the difference between hunger and cravings

Because you eat for a variety of reasons, it’s not always easy to tell when you’re truly hungry vs. when you’re craving a certain type of food. 

If you do experience a craving, check in with yourself before acting on it. Ask yourself: what do I want to eat and why do I want it right now? Am I actually hungry or just stressed, tired, or bored?

Then, think about your last meal. Did you have a balanced meal? If your meal was too small or not balanced, then you might be feeling real hunger.

Manage stress

Stress can disrupt hunger hormones and increase cravings. If you tend to cope with stress with unhealthy food, try something else besides eating that you enjoy to make yourself feel better. 

You can also reduce stress by getting a good night’s sleep, staying active, and building a strong support system of people you can talk to or socialize with. 

Stay hydrated

Hunger can sometimes be mistaken for thirst. So if you feel hungry at a time when you don’t normally eat, drink a glass of water and see how you feel.

Final Thoughts on Food Noise

Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you should make food noise go away completely. It’s important to listen to your body and eat when you are actually hungry. The more consistent you are with recognizing when you are hungry and eating a balanced diet of healthy whole foods, the more joy you can get out of eating.