What Type of Eater Are You?
Friday, December 30, 2011 8:15AM
What type of eater are you? We asked Sondra to break down the different types of eaters and give suggestions for how to combat disorder. Here is what she had to say...
Sondra's Notes on Types of Eaters She is Profiling:
Eating patterns usually result from a combination of emotional, physical and behavioral determinants. Changing eating patterns will require understanding and paying attention to what drives the behavior and a willingness to change the thoughts and the actions associated with those behaviors. For all changes, eating in a way that provides adequate nutrients and blood sugar stability will best allow for behavioral changes.
| What Type of Eater Are You? | What Is It? | Tip for Combating |
|---|---|---|
| AVOIDER | Someone who removes a whole group of food from diet. Example: Anderson tried removing sugar. | Removing a whole group of foods results from a fear of a negative consequence associated with that fear. Become informed. A balanced eating program of whole foods will maintain nutrient density. Be flexible, try to include small amounts of a group left out while maintaining a healthy variety of whole fresh foods. Try it first in a food where it is not visible and gradually allow yourself to have that food more regularly. |
| VAMPIRE EATER | Someone who doesn't eat much during the day and then eat most of their food at night. | Night eating is usually a result of not eating well or enough during the day, the best solution is to eat well and regularly through out the day, every 2-3 hours. Then make an effort to get through the first few nights with either only a small snack or beverage to break the behavior. Continuing to eat through the day will help regulate your blood sugar and make you less physiologically vulnerable to night eating. |
| FEARFUL EATER | Someone who has a lot of anxiety or OCD. Example: Once had cereal with raisins and thought the raisins looked like ants so they avoid cereal. | Exposure in a safe environment is usually the best way to combat fearful foods or phobic behaviors regarding foods. First look at pictures of the food, then spend time with the food, get used to it being near you, what it really looks like, smells like, even feels like, when that feels more comfortable taste it, move it around on your tongue, gradually chew and eventually swallow. Do this at your own pace; a day, a week, or a year, but stay in the process otherwise you will have to start over at the beginning. The idea is to get increasingly more comfortable by increasing the time you spend and the exposure you have to the particular food and fear. |
| LIQUIDATOR | Someone who doesn't like to chew, texture of food is aversive. | Gradually increase exposure from liquid to soft solid and then eventually to solid foods. Practice chewing, as there is often a discomfort with chewing and texture that makes liquid foods more desirable to this type of eater. As above, continued gradual exposure to chewing and textured foods will modify this behavior over time. |
| STRESS EATER | When emotional things happen, this person uses foods to soothe themselves. | Talk to yourself, ask yourself questions. What am I feeling? Will the food help? How will I feel in the long run? What can I do instead right now? Have a list of alternate behaviors that are calming and practice putting them in action. Work to be present, and stay in the moment, affirm for yourself that you can handle whatever happens in each moment, moment to moment. |
| ANGRY EATER | When annoyed with someone, this person makes poor eating decisions. Then they become angry at themselves because they're doing something damaging to themselves. |
Again, ask the questions as above, but get specific. Who, what am I angry at? What do I need to say, do? Write it down, clarify what your anger is about. Ask what can I do to resolve this anger? Make a list. Eating will only make me angry at myself but will not resolve the situation. |
| SOCIAL EATER | Someone who attaches food to people. | Social eating can often lead to imbalance, and a disconnect from one's hunger. Work on being in touch with your hunger, again pay attention and ask questions. Am I hungry? How hungry on a scale of 0-10 am I? What am I hungry for? Also make a plan to practice enjoying the people at social events as well as the food, again enjoy the moments, stay present and work on disconnecting the joy and pleasure you get from people from the joy and pleasure you get from food. |
| PERFECT BITE | This is a person who plans out every bit. | Practice doing something unplanned, impromptu, have something new or different, challenge yourself to eat something you have not planned or do not eat regularly. Start with one time then try to do it regularly, once a day or even at each meal, eventually try to have meals that you do not plan. Again be in the moment, work on building the confidence that you can handle each moment as it happens and therefore you do not need to put all that energy into planning and predicting and controlling what happens. |
| DAYDREAMER | People who finish one meal and are already planning the next. | Challenge your mind, it has been trained to think like this, it occupies time and keeps you preoccupied. Catch yourself and push the thoughts away, time yourself, push the thoughts away and say I will not think about food for the next hour. When the thought returns push it away again. Practice, eventually you will get better and will be able to go for longer periods of time. |
This is a very lively topic and will result in many questions. For answers, please go to SondraKronberg.com.
To make an appointment for treatment, an evaluation, or for more information about Sondra's services, you can also contact her office's main office at 516-794-7328 or email Sondra at: contact@sondrakronberg.com.
Filed Under: As Seen On The Show, Health & Fitness
Comments
I am commenting on todays show about eating, and I really don't have an appetite. I could go days but my husband makes me eat something due to the medicines I take. I have Multiple Sclerosis and am on 16 pills a day and a shot at night.
So I am unsure which type of eater I would be?
I am a 61 year-old female, and the pickiest eater you will ever meet and have been so since I was born. It would be easier to list what I will eat, than what I don't eat.
If it was up to me, I would prefer to take a pill 3 times per day, so I wouldn't have to bother.
When I eat a meal with others, it takes me so long that it becomes a topic of conversation. So, I take home a lot of leftovers.
There is a long list of foods I have never tried, due to the smell or consistency.
I hate it. I wish I had a normal appetite. I am a 61 year old female.
I'm definitely a daydreamer eater.
Oh I loved the show today...I am in Jacksonville and we saw the show about your fav foods! It was so funny watching you eat those foods you've never had before ...you are a brave soul! Do you life fruits...like Mango or apples or peaches? How about Peach cobbler? Oh that's right you avoid sugar....try a sweet potato pie....you will never be the same again better yet would you consider allowing Paula Deen to cook a real Southern meal for you..Honey...that lady would've had you asking for seconds!!!!!!
didn't see the website for the disordered eating support group anywhere during the show. can you let me know what it is?
Very interesting article in my inbox today re: the genetics of taste (http://the-scientist.com/2011/12/01/sensing-fat/) that might explain Anderson's (and my ex-husband's) lack of interest in food. My ex's philosophy of eating came from Woody Allen in Annie Hall: "thaw it enough to chew it."
I lost my sense of smell over ten years ago and slowly lost my sense of taste so mealtimes can be very boring at times. I now tend to eat foods that are spicey or very sweet. My daughter is a chef and when she first started her course, she would come home and try different meals on me and was so disappointed when my reaction would be "It tastes like cardboard" or I would not say anything because I didn't want to offend her.
I tend to be an emotional eater, but now that I can't taste I need to eat more to get the feeling of satisfaction. For instance one chocolate bar will not do, so I need two or more to do the trick.
Forgot to add this to my previous comment. I agree with Anderson. I find food a necessary disturbance. The show didn't broach the issue other than his eating food he doesn't like. There is no category for this.
I enjoyed your show today(Dec. 30). I had food allergies when I was young, for about 4 years. I know that is when I became a picky eater. I don't eat vegetables, but have had carrots/lettuce/celery. I don't eat fish, pork, any condiments, pizza, peanut butter, ethnic foods, and lots of other things. I LOVE POTATOES! I too eat only egg whites with a little pepper on them.
I'm so glad to find out you and I are similar eaters. :)I really enjoy your show, keep up the good work!
Wilda Shelly Blaine, Wash.
My parents were sticklers about all seven of us being at the dinner table for grace at 6:00 pm. None of us were allowed to leave the table until everyone had finished eating. The first one to clean their plate read from a book of their choice. When I learned how to read, I inhaled my food (not easy when you're 7 with no elbows allowed on the table). The book I chose was a Nancy Drew mystery. My 3 year old brother didn't mind. My older sister and 4 older brothers couldn't eat faster if they tried. However, when I was in 6th grade, I had a 12th grade reading level. My parents are in their 90's, still happily married and all of us love to read!
i am a lot like Anderson, food is the last thing on my mind. I eat because I need to, not be because I want to. When I am stressed I can't eat at all. I have also gone a day or 2 without eating.
I guess I would fall under the fearful eater category.
When there are multiple foods on my plate I can't handle the thought of them touching. When it's time to eat, I eat all of one type of food before I can move onto the next.
It's terrible, especially when people want their opinion on their food and I haven't even gotten past the potatoes! (I tend to choose my side dishes first...)
I didn't realize how many other people had strange eating habits.
Today you talked about eating and family dinners. One of the presenters mentioned that dinner could be scrambled eggs, or other simple fare. I wonder if you have read "How to cook a wolf" by MFK Fisher. Ms. Fisher was a renouned food writer from the '40s till aproximately the'80s. She wrote lots of books, but this one is about the time when women were learning how to meet the familys needs on ration coupons, with out staff, etc. Its a fantastic read, and has alot to say on this topic. Some of its out dated, but the main idea, that if you eat a varied amount of nutritious food through out the 3 meals of the day day, instead of trying to have 3 multi course meals, you will save money and have happier family times. She advocates dinners of piles of corn on the cob, or breakfasts of mountains of crisp buttered toast and eggs. The idea is that you will get what you need in 3 simpler meals, during the entire day, rather than each meal having every thing you need. This would surly help guilt ridden moms in this day were we all wear multiple hats. It also advocates elemental cooking, from real ingriedents, less pre pacages, and mre seasonal. This woman was way ahead of her time.
WOW! I am like you Anderson. I only eat certain foods and I could eat the same thing for months, even years on end. I have had oatmeal for breakfast for the past 6 years, peanut butter and jelly for lunch, and usually some sort of pasta and veggie for dinner. The dinner is where I sometimes switch things up.
In fact when I was a child, pre-school age, the only thing I wanted of school lunch was peanut butter and jelly. Well, the teachers at the school thought my mom was being abusive to me by having me eat the same thing every day. They even called child services on her. Certain teacher would even bring me some food trying to encourage me to eat something other than P&J. I refuse, they kept asking me if I was afraid to get int trouble with my mom. I kept telling them I ask for P&J and my mom or dad did not force me to eat it. I remember my mom tying to make me something else for lunch and me saying, "No, I want peanut butter and jelly." She'd plead with me saying it was important to have something else. At first, regardless of my pleas, she would make me something different but I would just come home with it.
This show was so enlightening. I never knew it was odd to eat the same thing every day. A few years back I did have a palette for Boston Market. I also always got the turkey with cranberry (because of the dryness)and two sides. I'd either have to servings of mashed potatoes or two servings of corn. Or to shake things up, one of each. I laughed when your personal assistant said that they would try to get him to try something different because that also happened to me. Eventually they just gave up. I'd see the same people every day because I would eat the same time every day. Even now I do this. 7am, 12pm, and 5pm. Is this wrong too? Who cares I like it that way. ;-)
OMG Anderson-- I raised my grandson and as a small child he ate most everything. Green beans by the can just about anything Then something changed to Hotdogs by the case boxes Mac and cheese only romaine lettuce if I took out the hard vein. He stopped eating turkey when he saw a Rhenn and Stempy cartoon that showed the hunting of turkeys and they hid all the turkeys in their homes so no one would eat them. Of course now almost 17 years later he is in the Marines and in boot camp he lost 14 lbs because of his selective eating. Nothing could touch on his plate. Now after 3 years and currently on deployment he eats most everything because he has no choice. He is now a strapping 6'5 240 lbs of pure muscle and before he left I took him to Outback and HE ORDERED a blooming onion. I almost cried that finally he has learned to eat other things. I was so proud of him. Your tastebuds wil change. Hang in there