Legalizing food is the critical step in changing your relationship with food. It frees you to respond to inner eating signals that have been smothered by negative thoughts and feelings of guilt about eating. When you don’t truly believe that you can eat whatever food you like, you will continue to feel deprived, ultimately overeat, and be blocked from feeling satisfied with your eating. And when you are not satisfied, you will be on the prowl for more food! When you know the food will be there and allowed, day after day, it doesn’t become so important to have it. Food loses its power.
5 Steps to Make Peace with Food
Pay attention to the foods that are appealing to you, and make a list of them.
Put a check by the foods you actually do eat, then circle remaining foods that you’ve been restricting.
Give yourself permission to eat one forbidden food from your list, then go to the market and buy this food, or order it at a restaurant.
Check in with yourself to see if the food tastes as good as you imagined. If you find that you really like it, continue to give yourself permission to buy or order it.
Make sure that you keep enough of the food in your kitchen so that you know that it will be there if you want it. Or if that seems too scary, go to a restaurant and order the particular food as often as you like. Beware of the ‘I can eat whatever I want, as much as I want, whenever I feel like it’ trap. Honor your hunger cues.
Principle #5: Discover the Satisfaction Factor (2)
“Americans have gotten so focused on the alchemy of foods—whether as an adjunct to shrinking their body or seeking health, that we have neglected a very important role that eating plays in our lives—provision of pleasure. The Japanese promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy eating. ‘Make all activities pertaining to food and eating pleasurable ones’ is one of their dietary guidelines for health promotion. How ironic this advice is for dieters, who have come to see food as the enemy and the eating experience as the battleground between "tempting" foods and the will power to avoid them…"
5 steps to achieve pleasure and satisfaction in eating:
"Ask yourself what you really want to eat.
"Discover the pleasure of the palate.
"Make your eating experience more enjoyable.
"Don’t settle.
"Check in: Does it still taste good?"
"If dieting has been a significant part of your life for many years, you may need to make a serious commitment to reclaim your right to enjoy your food. You may have been so programmed to eat what you were told, especially foods that have little tasted pleasure, that you hardly know where to begin to find satisfaction. Knowing what you like to eat and believing that you have the right to enjoy food are key factors in a lifetime of enjoyable eating without dieting. If it takes you some time to accomplish all of this, be patient. After all, it’s taken you many years to lose your ability to truly enjoy eating.
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If you are having troubles with your relationship to food, working with one of our Registered Dietitians may help. Jonathan Conley, RD, CD understands that developing a good relationship with food is vital to enjoying life and can be achieved, regardless of past experiences! Schedule a visit through our website at https://www.utahmedicalweightloss.com/ or by calling our office at (801) 397-6160.
References:
1. Tribole E, Resch E. Principle 3: Make peace with food. In: Tribole E, Resch E, 4th ed. Intuitive Eating; A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach. St. Martin’s Essentials; 2020:101-122.
2. Tribole E, Resch E. Principle 5: Discover the satisfaction factor. In: Tribole E, Resch E, 4th ed. Intuitive Eating; A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach. St. Martin’s Essentials; 2020:150-166.
