Building a positive relationship with food: Tips for overcoming food guilt and shame

Food guilt and shame are common feelings that tend to come when we are in an unhealthy relationship with food. As a culture, we’re constantly told that dieting is the answer, but it’s not. In fact, research shows that dieting can lead to unhealthy habits and binge eating later on.

So what does that mean for you? Well, it means learning how to take care of yourself without feeling guilty about food or ashamed by what you eat. Here are some tips for building a positive relationship with food:

---

How to build a healthy relationship with food?

1) Be kind to yourself

Be kind to yourself (Image via unsplash / markus spiske)

Understand that you're doing the best you can and that your mistakes don't make you a failure. You're not alone in feeling this way - it's fine to make mistakes.

Food guilt and shame are common among people who care about their bodies, so understand that it's not just about eating healthy foods (although that is important). It's also about understanding our relationship with food and realizing what we need personally in order to be happy with our bodies overall.

---

2) Don't wait till you're hungry to eat

Don't supress your hunger. (Image via Unsplash/Artur Komakov)

One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to eating is waiting till they're hungry before they eat. If you're not hungry, don't eat. Eating when you're not hungry can lead to overeating and bingeing later on.

If you feel like you're really hungry, go ahead, and eat. However, if you don't have an illness or anything like that, it's better for digestion if you spread out your meals throughout the day as opposed to having them all at once.

---

3) Try to find a "real" reason for your feelings

Find the real reason (Image via Unsplash/Magnet Me)

If you're experiencing food guilt and shame, it can be helpful to try to find the root cause of your relationship with food.

You may already know that there are many reasons why people feel guilty about eating or not eating food. These reasons for unhealthy relationship with food may include:

• A belief that being overweight is always unhealthy or will lead to other health problems like diabetes or heart disease
• A fear that if they eat too much (or even at all) they will gain weight, which could impact their appearance and self-esteem in a negative way
• A desire for control over one's body and health, which leads them to monitor their food intake closely

---

4) Resist urge to restrict food

Don't restrict cravings. (Image via Unsplash/Anastasia Cheinska)

Restricting food is not sustainable, and it can lead to binge eating. The restriction also creates an unhealthy relationship with food and yourself.

If you feel like you're depriving yourself of something good, it's likely that your body will rebel against that in the form of cravings or binges later on. If you want to get rid of guilt and shame around eating, focus on learning how to eat mindfully instead of restricting yourself from certain foods altogether.

Mindful eating is all about paying attention to what you're doing when you eat, including how much you're eating, how quickly and whether you feel satisfied afterward.

---

5) Remember that eating should be pleasurable

Make cooking more fun. (Image via Unsplash/Edgar Castrejon)

Eating should not be a chore, but rather an enjoyable part of your day. If you're not enjoying your food and feeling good about it, there's something wrong with your approach. It's important to remember that eating healthy foods can also be fun and tasty.

Cooking healthy meals can be a fun and creative experience. If you aren't really into cooking right now, there are lots of ways to get started and always a better option than ordering takeout or grabbing fast food on the go.

---

6) Know what normal feels like for you

Listen to your body (Image via Unsplash/Pablo Merchan)

To begin to build a positive relationship with food, it's important to know what normal feels like for you.

What does "normal" eating look like? How much do you need to eat to feel good? How do different foods make you feel physically and emotionally? How do they affect your mood and energy level?

The answers lie within your body: The more familiar you become with its needs and signals, the easier it will be for you to recognize when something isn't right before the situation gets out of control.