Are Old Diet Rules Getting In Your Way?

by Golda Poretsky, H.H.C.
www.bodylovewellness.com

Listen to the podcast of this post here:

(I’m bringing back an oldie but goodie this week, but I’ll be back “live” next week with an interview with an international fat superhero…)

In a recent workshop, one of the participants brought up the fact that she sometimes doesn’t like to eat leafy greens because they remind her too much of her dieting days.  Whenever she eats greens (salad in particular), she feels what she used to feel while dieting — restricted and annoyed, and even a phantom-like feeling of hunger.

The kid loves jam. Image courtesy of boingboing.net.

How many of you can relate to that feeling?  I know I can!  When I first started working with the concept of intuitive eating, I felt like I was fighting a never-ending battle with a variety of food rules, even food rules that conflicted with one another.  I had spent significant portions of my life as an Atkins dieter, an Overeaters’ Anonymous member, a low carbohydrate vegetarian and a Weight Watchers’ points aficionado.  As you can imagine the Atkins part of me and the low carb vegetarian part of me had some things in common but highly disagreed with the Weight Watchers’ point keeper and the O.A. dieter!  Did I believe in low carb or low fat?  Was a scooped out bagel a good choice or a terrible one?  Was I overdoing the olive oil or should I slather it on?

And while I have come to terms with my diet rule demons, as a counselor who often talks about intuitive eating, I can run into some problems.  I’m often asked about what foods are good to consider when you’re suffering from low energy, but whenever I talk about food in this way, I often have to work my way around my own fears of sounding like a Weight Watchers or O.A. leader.  Whenever I talk about leafy greens and added fiber and drinking adequate water,  I get a creepy feeling that I’m imposing food rules on my clients, even though I have no intention of doing so.  To me, I care more about how my clients actually feel when they eat certain foods than how they should feel or what they should be eating.

Image Courtesy Of The Graphics Fairy

Diet rules impede intuitive eating because they stop you from connecting with your body’s wisdom.  Whether you’re confining your eating habits to old diet rules or avoiding food that reminds you of your dieting days, you end up being a slave to diets.  I’m sure that wasn’t (or isn’t) your intention if you’re trying to break away from diets.

So here are some tips for letting go of old diet rules to make way for a more connected, body-centered way of eating.

1) Get Clarity — Take a moment to write down all of the diet rules that still haunt you.  They may be conflicting, nonsensical, or sometimes sort of sensible.  Whatever they are, get them all out on paper.  Then decide if any are worth keeping.  Only keep the ones that really honor your body and its changeability — such as getting adequate water, avoiding allergenic foods, stuff like that.  Throw out any rules that limit the types of foods you can eat (unless you have allergies or other health concerns) and definitely toss the calorie and carb counting.

2) Listen To Yourself — We all have a voice within us that tells us what foods nourish us and advises us as to our hunger and fullness.  Note, we ALL have this voice.  Sometimes this voice has been stifled by pushy parents or diet rules or our emotional torment, but trust me, it is there.  Take steps to actively listen for this voice.  Honor it no matter how quietly it speaks.  If you think you heard it and turned out to be wrong, listen for it again tomorrow.  Trust me that it is safe to trust yourself.

3) Pay Attention — Notice which foods feel best to you.  Do you like a muffin and coffee in the morning or an apple and almond butter and tea?  Does it depend on how much sleep you got, how much stress you’re under?  What time of year it is?  Are comfort foods comforting sometimes and sometimes not so much?  Notice the effects on your energy levels.  Notice comfort and discomfort.

Continually repeat the above to get better and better at tuning in.

In truth, the only rule is that there are no rules.  You make the rules.  It’s okay to be heady with that power as long as you let your body lead the way.

Golda Poretsky, H.H.C. is a certified holistic health counselor who specializes in transforming your relationship with food and your body. Go to http://www.bodylovewellness.com/stay-in-touch/ to sign up for her newsletter and get your free download — Golda’s Top Ten Tips For Divine Dining!

5 thoughts on “Are Old Diet Rules Getting In Your Way?

  1. This is such a great piece, Golda. I really appreciate it. It’s nice seeing your older essays pop up on Pinterest so I can revisit them. This REALLY resonates with what I’m going through right now. Currently have an event coming up in 3 months and am seriously struggling with the old demons to just “drop a few pounds…” UGH. I have been fighting the good fight, immersing myself in HAES literature and staying active for FITNESS sake.

    Thank you, Golda. Thank you.

  2. My food rules sometimes crop up, but I can mostly laugh them off these days. The ones that are still serving me are:
    – no caffeine after 3pm
    – include fruits or veggies in most lunches and dinners, and home-prepared breakfasts. (I love produce, so this isn’t hard. I only make it a rule because it’s easy to let it slip when my life gets really busy.)
    – make sure each meal has adequate protein

    All of these are based on my comfort and self-care, and can be broken when I’m willing to deal with the consequences. (i.e., I’ll have a low-protein dish for lunch only if I know I’ll be able to get a snack if I get crashy)

    For me, exercise rules have been the hardest to shake. I love the workout I was doing during the worst part of my eating disorder, but it’s really triggery for me, even after four years.

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