A lot of people can eat an entire bag of chips without realising until they find only crumbs where a full bag of chips used to be. And then they ask themselves…
“Did I just do that again? Why can’t I just control myself around chips?”
“Why can’t I control myself around chips?”
“What does my brain need in this moment to feel safe and energised?”
For example, I often hear women saying, “I had a huge task to complete and thought I’d snack on something whilst I’m doing it”.
“Really? How does a small snack help whilst you’re doing it?
And they’ll say something like:
“Well, I’m always feeling a bit peckish before a big task that I know is challenging, so I think to myself – I’ll just snack so I don’t get hungry later. I don’t mean to eat the whole snack. I just somehow manage to do it without realising until it’s too late. And I don’t even remember enjoying it.”
“Don’t you think other people also experience stressful tasks but maybe they’ve learned it’s probably safer not to eat whilst trying to get something done?”
“Actually…now that you mention it. I have a friend who breaks up her tasks into 25 minute time slots and takes a 5 minute break for a walk or a glass of water or something to “reset” her energy levels as she says. And then she gives herself another 25 minutes until she completes the task. Maybe, I need to do something like this?”
“Uh huh…” [wide eyes and vigorous nodding]
I want you to know something important. That moment isn’t about a lack of willpower or some character flaw. What’s really happening is a fascinating interplay between your brain, your hormones, and your body’s stress response system.
Now, let me explain what’s actually going on.
When you’re in that focussed work mode [especially during midlife when your hormones are shifting] your brain is using an enormous amount of energy [about 20% of your body’s energy, even though it only makes up 2% of your body weight]. And when you’re concentrating hard, that energy demand skyrockets.
But here’s something you most likely don’t know.
Your brain, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, becomes extra sensitive to energy fluctuations. Add neurodevelopmental challenges such as ADHD or Auditory Processing Disorder [APD] to the mix, and this is a tonne more difficult.
When you’re focussed on work, especially if you’re someone who tends to get absorbed in tasks, your brain goes into what neuroscientists call “autopilot eating mode.” or what you and I would simply say is…autopilot mode.
Now this isn’t just your regular hunger. It’s your brain’s primitive survival mechanism kicking in, desperately trying to maintain energy balance while you’re mentally juggling multiple tasks. Think of it like your brain’s emergency backup system…
…it’s not a flaw, it’s actually trying to protect you.
When you’re in that focussed work mode, especially with ADHD hyperfocus [if you know, you know], your brain is using an enormous amount of energy.
Add in the effort of processing auditory information (even background noise or a colleague on the phone), and your brain’s energy consumption skyrockets. During perimenopause and menopause, this energy demand becomes even more critical because:
- Your brain’s ability to regulate energy usage becomes more sensitive
- Hormonal fluctuations affect how your brain processes rewards
- The effort required to maintain focus increases
- Your sensory processing systems become more easily overwhelmed
And now this is where the chips come in…
…your brain, operating on its primitive survival programming:
- It seeks quick, accessible energy sources
- It bypasses conscious awareness to conserve energy
- It prioritises immediate reward over long-term planning
- It responds to sensory overwhelm with self-soothing behaviours
And for the neurodivergent brain [like mine!] during midlife, this response is actually a sophisticated adaptation…that is
…your brain is trying to help you maintain focus and manage sensory input while dealing with hormonal transitions.
So here’s what’s happening in that chip-eating moment:
…your brain is burning through glucose (its preferred energy source) at a rapid rate while you’re working
…your stress hormones are likely elevated (because let’s face it, work can be stressful), which makes your brain even more energy-hungry
..if you’re in perimenopause or menopause, your fluctuating estrogen levels are making it harder for your brain to regulate both attention and appetite
…when all these factors combine, your brain essentially goes into “energy conservation mode” which makes you reach for quick, easy sources of energy [hello, chips!] without even registering it in your conscious awareness
This is why you can “suddenly realise” that you’ve eaten the entire bag without even tasting it. Your brain was operating on its primitive survival programming mode, not your conscious decision-making system.
If you’re someone who wants to stop mindless eating or “eating to get through the task” because you know it contributes [significantly] to your weight struggles, may I suggest you approach challenging tasks differently to how you normally would.
It doesn’t have to be any particular approach, it just has to be one that you can stick to.
And it may be a case of trial and error until you find the one. Because it’s like me telling you to eat chia pudding for breakfast every day. If you hate it, you won’t eat it for very long. Right?!
So if you try one approach and it doesn’t resonate – don’t give up. Simply try something else.
I have a few approaches you can try, to see if one of these could work for you.
- You could create a sensory-friendly work environment [if you’ve got ADHD or APD] to reduce the stress before taking on the challenging task. If you’ve got sensory issues, you’ll need to fix that to reduce the stress or overwhelm.
- You can implement energy-conscious breaks and set gentle reminders every 25 minutes as well as a 5 minute walk or stretch.
- You can prepare brain-supporting snacks that provide sustained energy and reduce stress levels.
- You can develop awareness bridges by creating physical reminders to check in with your body.
Obviously I’m not implying that by simply understanding this, it doesn’t exactly make the chips magically disappear from your stomach, but it does something equally important: it removes the shame from the equation.
Your brain isn’t broken or undisciplined because it’s actually doing exactly what it’s designed to do [trying to help you function in a world that often demands more than our primitive brains were designed to handle].
Anyway, helping women in midlife to tweak their habits to heal from emotional eating and weight struggles – is a big part of what I do in Midlifestyle School [it’s the complete emotional eating permanent weight loss school for midlife women].
But before that, I always focus on the very beginning where it all started – birth.
By getting to the very root cause in conjunction with completely understanding how our early experiences and biological factors [such as the primitive brain, motivational triad, and hunger hormones] have influenced our relationship with food, you can permanently heal from emotional eating and weight struggles.
I’m a visionary with a big heart and a huge mission. If you’ll let me, let’s make peace with our past and design a second half of life worth living for!
PS. Oh, and one last thing. You can and you will, if I have anything to do with it.
