If Someone Else Eating Makes You Want to Eat Too… Read This First

If you eat, I eat. Apparently, that’s the rule.

So, the other day, my daughter walks into the kitchen and says, “I’m gonna make myself some lunch.”

A completely harmless sentence, right?

WRONG.

Because what happens next is not harmless. Not in the slightest. What happens next is me, suddenly opening the fridge like it’s the Fourth of July buffet and I just heard someone say, “There’s one slice of pie left.”

Now, I wasn’t hungry. I knew I wasn’t hungry. I had literally just finished my tea and was knee-deep in emails.

But the moment she said “lunch,” my brain perked up like a golden retriever hearing the cheese drawer open.

Lunch? Are we doing lunch?? Should we be doing lunch?? I mean… it is summer. Kids are home. Schedules are weird. Technically, it’s lunchtime.

And poof—just like that—I wanted to eat.

The internal negotiation begins…

At first, I told myself: “You don’t need to eat. You’re not hungry.”

And then my brain, which is very persuasive, chimed in with: “Yeah, but she’s eating. You don’t want to sit there awkwardly while she eats alone, do you?”

Oh no. Can’t do that. That would be rude. Besides… maybe I am a little hungry? Kind of? Probably?

Wait, didn’t I have a smaller dinner last night? Didn’t I skip the yogurt? Didn’t I… oh, look, there are cherry tomatoes!

And just like that, I’m gobbling tomatoes and pretending this is a completely rational decision.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

So what was going on?

It’s not about the food. Let me say that again, louder for the people by the pool:

It’s not about the food.

Because if my daughter had said, “I’m going to sweep the balcony,” I would NOT have stood up and gone, “Ooh, should I sweep too?!”

But lunch? Oh, I am READY.

And not because I need it… But because my brain made a lightning-fast connection:

→ She’s eating = eating is happening = you should be eating too.

That’s it. That’s the whole mental process. No logic. No hunger. Just old patterns and summer autopilot trying to hijack my day.

But here’s the kicker…

This used to happen all the time.

Any time someone around me ate. Any time I walked past the kitchen. Any time I saw a popsicle ad or heard the word “snack.”

My brain was like: “Should we eat? We should eat. Let’s eat.”

And I believed it.

I thought that was the problem: Too many temptations. Too many food cues. Too many reasons to grab “just a bite.”

But that wasn’t it.

The real problem wasn’t food. It was the thoughts behind it.

I used to think I needed more willpower. That I should just “be stronger” or “distract myself” or “chew gum instead.” But that never worked for long.

Because willpower runs out. But thoughts? Thoughts are like Netflix in July: they just keep streaming.

Here’s the truth:

I didn’t need to fight harder. I needed to think differently.

That tiny moment with my daughter? That was a thought trap. One I’ve fallen into a thousand times.

But now, I can see it for what it is: Just a sneaky brain habit. Not an emergency.  Just a thought whispering, “Join her! You’ll miss out!”

And guess what?

Now I can say, “Thanks brain, but I’m good.”

What changed?

I stopped trying to “be stronger” and started getting curious.

I started noticing these moments (not judging myself, not pushing them away) but just observing.

And instead of wrestling with the urge, I started asking:

●     What triggered this?

●     What was I just thinking?

●     Do I actually want food… or do I want to feel included / connected / comforted / like it’s summer break too?

That’s when it all shifted.

Because once I understood what was really going on in my brain… I got my power back.

And suddenly, food wasn’t controlling me anymore.

I didn’t have to miss out on lunch with my daughter. I could still sit, chat, enjoy her company, with or without a sandwich.

And the best part?

No overeating.No guilt. No stomachache from eating when I wasn’t hungry.

Why this matters

You might be reading this thinking, “Okay, funny story, but what does this have to do with me?”

Well, let me ask you:

●     Have you ever eaten just because someone else was?

●     Or because it was “time” to eat… even if you weren’t hungry?

●     Or because something looked good and your brain went full toddler mode: “I WANT IT NOW!!”

Then you’ve probably been caught in one of these thought traps too.

But here’s the good news:

You don’t need more rules, diets, or food scales.

You just need to understand your brain.

That’s exactly what I’m teaching in my free webinar next Tuesday.

🧠 Join My Free Webinar: 

Do You Eat When You’re Not Even Hungry? Here’s Why (and What to Do Instead)

📅 Next Tuesday

🕕 8AM EST / 2PM CEST

💻 Online (grab a cold drink and join from the shade!)

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/do-you-eat-when-youre-not-even-hungry-heres-why-and-what-to-do-instead-tickets-1419255454269

What we’ll cover: 

✅ The 5 hidden traps that make most women overeat (you're probably caught in at least one right now) 

✅ The 3 simple secrets that turn cravings off, even on stressful or social days 

✅ How to finally eat with peace, not guilt (without giving up your favorite foods)

So if you’re tired of saying: “Why did I eat that? I wasn’t even hungry,” then come hang out with me.

We’ll laugh, we’ll learn, and I’ll show you how to finally break free from that exhausting eat-regret-repeat cycle.

Because summer is for fun, not food guilt. And definitely not for mystery lunches you didn’t even want in the first place.

Hope to see you there! 

xo, 

Nan