Food Guilt

I go through these cycles of restricting intake of bad foods and eating really well, but then I have these intense moments of hunger and cravings for particular foods. It’s left me in a cycle of food guilt. Any thoughts on breaking the cycle?

Replies

  • wwwtheselion11
    wwwtheselion11 Posts: 422 Member
    It sucks getting the munchies. Laughing out loud. Im am starting back in that cycle. I know what you mean. I start snacking more. I like my trail mix an cashews unsalted. I just push myself harder when it comes to working out, so i can snack on those foods. I sure i wasn't the only one eating chocolate Friday. I really wanted Ben and Jerry's icecream. Laughing out loud
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
    edited February 2020
    Over restricting can create a cycle of bingeing and restricting. As said above, you need to try to stop considering foods as good or bad, healthy or not healthy. Have a little of what you fancy and fit it in to your day. I've eaten cake, chocolate, sweets, ice cream etc. Practically every day for the past 3 years I've been eating to lose weight, and I'm coming up for 40kg down. You do have to learn how you can moderate your intake and for me it has been a long road of ups and downs but I am getting there. I can now have a tub of real ice cream in the house and it doesn't just contain one serving!
  • RichieBlasco
    RichieBlasco Posts: 3 Member
    I don’t advocate dishonesty. There are definitely bad foods. Foods that promote an environment of chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, etc. For example, hydrogenated oils & trans fats are bad foods. But your body has a certain tolerance for being stressed. Things with the body generally move in averages, over weeks & months. If, on average, you are eating well, then the occasional junk food splurge doesn’t mean that much — unless you hit a food allergy or something. Most people have “guilt” over the wrong “bad foods” anyway. Just focus on eating good on average, study up on bad foods where you can, avoid them when possible, cheat but don’t make it a permanent cheat. Work in averages.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I don’t advocate dishonesty. There are definitely bad foods. Foods that promote an environment of chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, etc. For example, hydrogenated oils & trans fats are bad foods. But your body has a certain tolerance for being stressed. Things with the body generally move in averages, over weeks & months. If, on average, you are eating well, then the occasional junk food splurge doesn’t mean that much — unless you hit a food allergy or something. Most people have “guilt” over the wrong “bad foods” anyway. Just focus on eating good on average, study up on bad foods where you can, avoid them when possible, cheat but don’t make it a permanent cheat. Work in averages.

    I don't think it's dishonest to say that even if a food is harmful, having guilt for eating it isn't a useful or productive emotion. (And the list of truly harmful foods is much smaller than professional diet gurus would have you believe, especially at normal dietary quantities).

    When people talk about "bad" foods, they're talking about it in the context of being a "bad person" who needs to feel guilt for eating it. That's the framing that is being rejected here.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    I agree with what others have said about not moralizing food. I would also add something that has helped me, namely focusing more on the process than on the outcome. I am not dieting. I am living life while making gradual changes to my nutrition to improve my health. Do I want to live a life where I never have any sweets and I go through family celebrations with a sense of dread? No. But I can be more selective about the calorie-dense foods I choose to eat while still knowing that I have an overall balanced diet.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    I don't view food as good or bad. I view prolonged surpluses of food as bad because in those situations no matter how "healthy" a food might be it is helping to add fat which is unhealthy unless you are underweight.

    On the flip side if you are carrying too much extra weight then losing weight will make you healthier or at least at less risk of becoming unhealthy all by itself. This can be done with any style of eating that maintains your basic nutritional needs.

    One other way of viewing it. Once your basic nutritional needs are met eating more nutrients only serves the purpose of adding more nutrients to your urine.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    I don't view food as good or bad. I view prolonged surpluses of food as bad because in those situations no matter how "healthy" a food might be it is helping to add fat which is unhealthy unless you are underweight.

    On the flip side if you are carrying too much extra weight then losing weight will make you healthier or at least at less risk of becoming unhealthy all by itself. This can be done with any style of eating that maintains your basic nutritional needs.

    One other way of viewing it. Once your basic nutritional needs are met eating more nutrients only serves the purpose of adding more nutrients to your urine.

    Nothing wrong with prolonged surpluses even if not underweight, don't forget about people who are very lean or it is within their goals... or they are gaining very slowly so they add more muscle vs fat. Yes they will add some fat but then they might cut down after. I run bulks despite not being underweight, my longest was 8 months but I would love to go a year or more. I gain fat but I don't get fat. Just wanted to clarify since it's not unhealthy to do this.