Experiencing food guilt?

Let’s talk about food guilt.

Many have it and it’s quite a common feeling if you are dealing with distorted eating, if you are in recovery or simply if you are chronic dieter.I have felt guilty for so many years but the truth is, guilt again is just a thought introduced by the diet culture.

You “cheat on your diet”, you are “bad and unworthy, lazy” and you have to feel “guilty and ashamed”.

Diet culture invented the “guilt free cookies” or “guilt free version of your favourite sweets” etc…

The guilt is real and most of the people will feel as if cheating on their diet gives them a hall pass for a full blown binge because they know they can start all over again tomorrow with their diet.

Here is how you can combat the feeling of guilt:

1. Practice thinking the opposite way:

When you find yourself thinking: “I shouldn’t have eaten that” or “that food is so bad and off plan” start immediately thinking differently: “I should have this”, “that food tasted good”. It’s hard in the beginning but it works.

2. Stop with the labels

We all label foods as good or bad instead of saying: food is food, neutral and the only different between food items is their nutrition value. Nothing is inherently BAD. It’s bad if it’s a food for animals, rotten or covered with mould.Start viewing food as a source of energy instead of labelling it and you won’t feel as guilty by practicing this thought.

3. Ask questions?

If you feel guilty ask yourself: Why? What is it about this food that should make me feel guilty? It’a not a bad food, it’s just food. Ask yourself where have you been thought that this food is bad and why do you think you can’t choose freely what you want to eat. Who holds the power over you?

4. Stop the social media scrolling

People who post their “what I eat in a day videos” or their macro plans are potentially as harmful as any other diet out there. You are not supposed to eat the same way as the next person. You don’t have the same body, activity level, needs etc…Watching what others eat (more or less than you or just eating differently) can make you feel guilty for your food choices. While you are healing, avoid these accounts.