Mental Guilt Over Anything Slightly Unhealthy

cteaplet

I've been eating healthy for about three months now and every time I let myself have a small serving of chips or a hershey kiss I feel guilty afterwards. I'm eating healthy and even below my calorie intake per day, but I can't get over this mental guilt. Anyone else experience this? How do yoiu deal with it?

kellykelz86

I do this all the time!!! it drives me nuts! lol I end up just going to work out so I don't feel so bad about it.

purpleipod

You need to make this as livable as possible if you intend on keeping the weight off. Depriving yourself leads to over-indulging and will make it nearly impossible to keep the weight off. Think of it as a lifestyle change and stop acting like it's a diet.

cteaplet

It's not that I'm thinking it's a diet; I've made this change for a lot of reasons and this is definitely a lifestyle change. My problem isn't just that I feel guilt, but also that I think of all the bad things contained in the food. I can't drink soda (Not that I want to) b/c I think of all the terrible things in it. I keep fiding all kinds of negative mental associations with certain foods.

Sublog

I've been eating healthy for about three months now and every time I let myself have a small serving of chips or a hershey kiss I feel guilty afterwards. I'm eating healthy and even below my calorie intake per day, but I can't get over this mental guilt. Anyone else experience this? How do yoiu deal with it?

You shouldn't feel guilty as long as you're sticking to your calorie intake and hitting your macro and micro-nutrient goals.

MB_Positif

Honestly I don't feel guilty when I treat myself. Every so often I will beat myself up if I go overboard like a few too many treats in one day or if I literally inhale a candy bar instead of just eating it slowly!

myfriendamy

it took several months for me to lose that guilt... I was right there with you. even if I was under my calorie goal, I felt so guilty!

my friend made a good point, she told me: you didn't get to 300lbs by thinking rationally about food.

it's a process with this lifestyle change, you feelings about food will change (they have already!)... guilt is a hard one to let go. try to think about the good choices you've made and try to enjoy the little treats think about how great you're doing and how you're amazing for showing the restraint to treat yourself without going overboard!

nicolinski

It's great you are aware of it and know you need to stop it though!
Might not be helpful for you but this quote seems to stop me stressing about something unnecessarily - Perfectionism doesn't lead to perfection...

nicolinski

it took several months for me to lose that guilt... I was right there with you. even if I was under my calorie goal, I felt so guilty!

my friend made a good point, she told me: you didn't get to 300lbs by thinking rationally about food.

it's a process with this lifestyle change, you feelings about food will change (they have already!)... guilt is a hard one to let go. try to think about the good choices you've made and try to enjoy the little treats think about how great you're doing and how you're amazing for showing the restraint to treat yourself without going overboard!

i do like that point your friend made

devfit

Taking the opportunity to make yourself feel bad for no reason is just a bad habit. If another person said to us some of the things we say to ourselves, we wouldn't want to spend much time with them. Since we have to spend every waking moment in our own company, it's worth paying attention to what we're saying to ourselves and making sure it's supporting us, rather than dragging us down.

You're already at the first step - you recognise that these negative thoughts are irrational and unhelpful. The next step is replacing them with positive thoughts.

If you were going to have a positive thought process about eating chocolate or whatever, what would it be? What would it be if you stayed under your goal, and what would it be if you went over?

Now, whenever you start beating yourself up, stop and take a step back. Remind yourself that this thought process is not appropriate, and replace it with your positive one.

There's no point being physically healthy if you're not mentally/emotionally healthy so good on you for looking after both!

hottottie11

I feel guilty when I deprive myself...learn to have a better relationship with food. There is no good or bad food, just food. Enjoy (within reason) and be merry.

Pinkigloopyxie

just eat those kinds of food in moderation. Feeling guilty about it could lead to binging.

Just realize it's fine to have a serving of chips 2-3 times a week and as for chocolate, try getting yourself used to eating the darker kind- the darker the better.

I find a 2 x 3 inch square of 85% dark chocolate from the freezer is more satisfying than a bag of hershey's hugs.

The bad food barely gets tasted, it just keeps sliding down there.

Take time to really sit and enjoy the 'junkier' foods...guilt leads to snarfing. You'll feel much more satisfied of you let yourself enjoy it.