Healthy Eating Mindset
This is going to be hard. It’s a habit that is ingrained in all of us. Even as a registered dietitian who actively practices intuitive eating and mindful eating, I also slip up and revert back to old thinking for just a moment.
But with the techniques I teach in my nutrition program, it makes it easier to snap out of it, realize the truth and science behind healthy living and move forward with a more abundant mindset.
Healthy eating, a phrase that you probably hear constantly. So frequently that I’m sure it gets factored into your decision making when choosing or making meals. What do you think when you hear “healthy eating?” Do you think of unseasoned chicken breast, boiled vegetables, or brown rice? Do you think of no carbs, or no alcohol, or no sugar? Nine times out of ten, you are most likely thinking of restricting or removing a certain food or foods from your diet. This is normal because society has taught us this.
Diet Culture Sucks
The diet industry is worth 3.8 billion dollars. You cannot go one day without seeing some diet propaganda being shown to you. Yet what the industry fails to mention (which why would they?) is that a whopping 95% of diets fail and people end up regaining the weight they lost between one to five years and sometimes even double their original starting weight. Research shows that weight loss attempts are correlated with subsequent major weight gain. Yet, why do we keep telling people and ourselves to lose weight? Something needs to change.
New Thinking
I challenge you to think about what can be added to your diet instead of restricted. When we go in with a restrictive mindset we are going to generate fear of never having access to certain foods again. Which triggers the last supper effect .
The last supper effect occurs when we restrict certain foods or food groups and when we finally give ourselves access to these foods, we tend to overeat or binge eat them. The last supper effect is associated with feeling out of control around food.
This brings about the diet cycle (see image below) of setting super strict food rules that are easily broken, once broken we tend to feel super guilty, and then eventually start a diet again. This leads to weight cycling which several studies show that it negatively impacts our health. Weight cycling can lead to things like heart disease, weight gain, diabetes, and muscle loss.
We need to adopt a different approach to pursuing health. As a registered dietitian, I help women ditch the dieting mindset and pursue an all foods fit mindset. I am a HUGE advocate for intuitive eating, mindful eating, and gentle nutrition. These approaches to health are more sustainable and can result in positive long term health outcomes. A study done in 2005 compared a Health at Every Size (HAES) group that was utilizing intuitive eating practices, and a restrictive diet group. A two-year follow up revealed that the HAES group improved their total cholesterol, blood pressure, LDL and maintained their weight. The diet group lost weight and showed improvement in health indicators during year one. However at the year 2 follow up, weight was regained and no further improvements were made.
Where To Start
Changing your mindset is hard and not going to happen overnight. However there are 5 things I want to share with you that you can practice everyday to help you get one step closer to food freedom.
Stop labeling foods as “good” or “bad”
Food does not hold moral value. Food CAN be more nutritious or less nutritious. But that does make it good or bad. Having more neutral language around food is important in achieving food freedom.
2. Add more variety
Adding more new things into your diet is fun and keeps things from getting boring. Trying different fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein options ensures you are getting an array of nutrients.
3. Ditch the food guilt.
When you do eat something that is less nutritious. Remind yourself that it is ok to enjoy these foods as they can satisfy a craving, bring us some happiness or nostalgia, and prevent overeating or binge eating on them later.
4. Make Peace with Food
This is principle 3 of intuitive eating. Restricting yourself from certain foods will cause intense thought about that food and feelings of deprivation which can lead to binge eating. Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat whatever foods you are craving will remove the urgency and excitement around that food which helps decrease the risk of overeating or binge eating. I challenge you to incorporate some of the foods that you once restricted into your week.
5. Practice mindful eating
Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. These cues will be helpful with guiding eating instead of relying on external cues such as the time of day. When you are eating, make sure you sit, eat slowly, savor foods and try your best to minimize distraction.
Wrapping Up
Changing your mindset is difficult and it is a daily practice. Give yourself the patience and grace to achieve a balanced lifestyle that is free from diets. Practice the five tips mentioned above every day and that will give you a great start on food freedom. If you need more support and guidance with your journey, reach out to me on instagram, email, or apply to my coaching program and we can get you set up with a unique plan that fits your lifestyle.
I wish you all the best in your food freedom journey ❤️
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