How to Deal with Food Guilt

I’m kind of having a hard time today. I was craving peanut butter cups all weekend, but didn’t want to buy them. Well, we have them at work. So I have had 14 this morning. Since they’re small, I know that isn’t too crazy, but the serving size is 11 pieces. I had more than the serving size. Oh my God. This is where I start to beat myself about eating so many pieces of candy.

 I use to get stuck in this cycle where I would blame myself, hate myself, then think of what physical activity I need to do to burn those calories off or I would carefully plan my food out for the rest of the day so that I wouldn’t overeat in calories, fat or carbohydrates. This is a bad cycle to get into. It’s never ending and self-destructing. It took me awhile to get out of this cycle and into a better relationship with food and my body. I will admit that every now and then I feel my old habits creeping in, but I have developed better habits and can recognize when I start to follow my old thought process. Then I nip it in the bud, and focus on the new habits I want to form.

It is possible to have snack or treat once in awhile and not beat yourself up. One bad snack or one bad meal isn’t going to ruin your hardwork or your progress. You cannot get fat from one meal. Occasionally I treat myself. That’s part of the 80/20 rule. (Eat clean and healthy 80% of the time, indulge 20%). Sometimes, I indulge more than I should. Sometimes it’s due to boredom or stress, other times it’s due to a vacation or special occasion. No matter what the reason for my treats, I follow a few simple rules that fight bloat, help me stay on track, and help keep my peace of mind.

• Drink lots of water. Water helps move food through your digestive system, and helps sustain energy. It also helps your organs to function properly.
• Go for a walk. Participating in physical activity burns calories, but also helps food move through your digestive system too. Physical activity helps boost your mood and confidence.
• Log your feelings. Write down how you feel in the moment. Keeping a food journal helps you find connections between certain foods you eat and certain emotions you are feeling at that moment. Once you see the connections, you can make alterations to make better, healthier habits when you are having those specific feelings.
• Practice meditation and mindfulness. Close your eyes, and take a few minutes to check-in with yourself. How are you feeling? Stressed? Anxious? Bored? Meditation will also help you in recognizing certain habits and feelings associated with eating unhealthy foods. Being mindful helps you live in the moment, and to pay attention to your actions. With will help with mindless eating (eating in front of the TV, computer, etc).

These are only a few methods to use when you feel guilty for having an unhealthy snack or meal. These are the methods that I use, and I wanted to share with my readers who have similar food guilt. If you have other methods that work for you, that’s great. It’s important to know what works for you, your lifestyle, and your body. It’s also important that no two people are the same. So what works for one person may not work for another. But it’s worth the share! How do you stay on track?