If you have food noise, you may not know it by that name, but you definitely know it.

There are varying degrees of severity, but basically, you think about food a lot.

It might be nonstop (even while you’re eating your current meal).

It might be between meals, in the evenings, or only when you get stressed or triggered in some way.

Some people have almost none, while some people’s is a constant presence.

It’s common to want to eat to make it stop even for just a few minutes, because trying to drown it out all the time is exhausting.

Of course, when you’re on a health journey, eating outside your plan just to get a break from your food noise is gonna slow things down at best. Worst case scenario, it leads to gaining weight and making nutrition-related health issues worse.

Some people report that Ozempic dulls their food noise, but that’s because Ozempic dulls reward pathways in the brain in general.

Ozempic also comes with a long list of nasty side effects, like 50% of the weight you lose being muscle.

My food noise can be pretty dang loud, so I understand it if you’re tempted to try Ozempic (or are already using it) just to get a break from the food noise.

But before you resort to that, try a few of the steps below.

Step 1: Rate your food noise’s “volume.”

On a scale of one to ten, how loud would you say it is? (The first number that comes to mind is probably about right.)

Step 2: Which foods trigger the most food noise for you?

Odds are, it’s probably sugary foods, processed foods, and high-carb foods.

Processed foods are chemically engineered to light up your brain’s reward pathways – the same pathways that are partially responsible for your food noise.

Sugar is also eight times more addictive than heroin, so it has the same effect.

As for carbs, even healthy carbs are rapidly digested by your body compared with fat and protein, which means food noise is quicker to return.

Step 3: Which emotions and/or situations trigger more food noise?

Food noise can accidentally be programmed into yourself when you get in the habit of eating to cope with certain emotions or situations in life.

For example, when you’re stressed, depressed, bored, want to celebrate, and so on.

As you go about your day today, notice when your food noise is loudest. If it’s AT ALL emotional or situational, it will likely be extra loud in those situations or when you’re feeling those emotions.

Step 4: Adjust your eating to include more healthy fats and proteins.

They take longer to digest and are more satiating. 

Also, consider eating foods that you don’t find as exciting.

I’m not saying they should be so disgusting that you gag them down, but eating foods you’re just kinda “meh” about won’t light up your brain’s reward pathways as much.

Giving those reward pathways a break from the overstimulation of foods you find exciting will give your brain time to recalibrate those pathways. As that happens, your food noise can drop to more manageable levels that are easy to ignore.

Food noise is a pain, AND there are things you can do to manage it without resorting to expensive shots that damage your body.