It is my goal that everyone I come in contact with knows that I eat all kinds of food; I don’t restrict myself from any kind of food. One of the most common questions I get is “How did you overcome your unhealthy relationship with food?”. This question is honestly one of my favorite things to talk about; therefore, I’ve decided to write this in order to provide my opinion as to what constitutes an unhealthy relationship with food and also provide some tips for overcoming that unhealthy relationship.
How do I know if I have an unhealthy relationship with food?
Although I do not have a definite answer and I am not a dietician, I like to answer this question from my own experience. For me, I started realizing that my relationship with food was unhealthy when I began to associate guilt with eating certain foods. I had a set list of what foods I was “allowed” to eat (think brown rice, rice cakes, oats, chicken, asparagus, broccoli) and a list of foods I was only allowed to have on “cheat days” (basically anything processed, or fried, etc.). That may work for some people but for me it got to the point where if I ate a food that was on my bad list, it would trigger a feeling of guilt so strong that it would cause me to continue eating junk for the rest of the day or even the week! This is when my binging episodes began.
I had never been a binger in my life. When I was younger, I would eat a lot, sometimes until I was uncomfortably full but usually those occasions were days such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. When I began restricting was when I began to see a change in my eating patterns. The first holiday season after I started my fitness journey was the worst. I went from weighing 123 pounds to weighing 145 pounds all in the course of 2 months. I would always say that I was “bulking” so it seemed normal to people. Truthfully, this was when I was a mess mentally. I kept thinking that I was a failure because I could not get back on track and eat only good foods. Every day started off the same, “today I am going to eat clean”, and ended the same, “Oh forget it, I already messed up. Might as well eat crap the rest of the day.” I maintained this sad mentality for about 9 months…
So, how do I overcome those feelings of guilt and re-establish a healthy relationship with food?
- Stop comparing yourself to other people. This was one of the most important things that I did. I cut myself off from the Instagram fitness world and started focusing on myself. Fitness blogs or posts on social media can be inspiring but they can also be daunting. If you find yourself getting upset because you aren’t progressing as fast as “that girl or guy”, then it may be time to take a break from all the “fitspiration”.
- Stop looking at foods as good or bad. I realize that some foods are more nutritious than others and that you shouldn’t eat junk all day… however, stop beating yourself up for the choices you make! If you crave a cookie, have a damn cookie and move on. Chances are if you do not fulfill a craving (in moderation), you’ll keep eating hoping to satisfy a craving that won’t go away with the foods you choose.
- Moderation is key. Yeah, it’s cliché and everyone says that these days but it’s true. If you eat three meals a day and they’re full of nutrient dense foods, do you really think that one small piece of candy that day will ruin your progress? No. You know what will ruin your progress? If you eat nothing but crap all day. Moderation. Keep it mostly healthy with some treats and you’re doing awesome.
- Do what works for you. If you like eating clean, eating 6 meals a day, doing IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros), IF (Intermittent Fasting), awesome. You do what works for you. The great part about a healthy relationship with food is that you do what you want, and not what anyone else tells you to do.
Ultimately, food is fuel and should make you feel good. You should never have to feel guilty about the way you eat and you should never have to conform to anyone else’s idea of how you should eat. Feed your body food that fuels your workouts and also allow yourself to have a treat once in a while. Life is too short to be miserable on a diet that doesn’t allow you to have what you truly want.
Contact: Christina Hartman
Instagram: @dat_fitnesslife
Blog: californiagirlinkansas.wordpress.com
