Do you ever have times where you can’t seem to stop eating and you feel out of control? You might think that you have a problem with food or that you lack willpower, but what’s actually going on could surprise you.
When you try to control your eating by not eating certain foods e.g chocolate, these foods take on a ‘forbidden fruit’ quality and this makes you crave them more. The more you deny yourself, the more the tension builds up, until you reach breaking point. This can look like eating a whole block of chocolate in one sitting, then feeling physically sick and feeling guilty or disgusted or ashamed.These uncomfortable feelings reinforce your belief that you can’t be trusted with certain foods, and you go back to not allowing yourself to eat them.
The key to reducing these out of control eating experiences is not to be stricter with your eating, but to actually loosen up some of the restrictions you have about what foods you eat. By allowing yourself to eat and enjoy some chocolate when you really feel like it, there’s no pressure to over-consume.
Traditional dietitians might tell you not to keep certain foods in your house, so you won’t eat them. As a non-diet dietitian, I’ll support you to get to a place where you can comfortably keep whatever foods you want in your house, without fear of losing control.
If reading this has made you feel that you’re ready to try something different with your eating, I’m available for one-on-one nutrition coaching sessions in person or online. You can book online or give me a call.