Breaking the Cycle of Food Obsession: A Comprehensive Guide to Feeling Confident and In Control
Food obsession, food guilt and food anxiety are all common results of a complicated relationship with food. But you don’t have to let these feelings control your life or sabotage your healthy eating goals!
In this guide we are going to be discussing some of the first steps towards overcoming food guilt and food anxiety. If you are constantly ruled by negative body and food thoughts, working with these strategies can help you to stop feeling self-doubt or feeling like you are constantly ruled by what you can and can’t eat.
Whether you have an emotional or physiological connection to food, these methods can help you stop obsessing over what you eat, feeling guilty about it, and having anxiety around it so you can finally move on with your life... while still enjoying delicious meals!
Understanding the difference between food obsessions, guilt, and anxiety
Food obsessions can be defined as thoughts about food that make you anxious or preoccupied. These thoughts can range in intensity from occasional to constant, but they all make it difficult for someone with an eating disorder to enjoy life without being scared of what their next thought might be.
Guilt is when you feel remorseful or regretful over something you have done or failed to do. It’s a feeling of inadequacy or failure. The guilt we experience around food is usually related to things like dieting, not trusting our body to know how much it needs to eat, restricting calories, overeating one day and then restricting the next day because we feel guilty about the first day’s overeating. We feel guilty about what we eat because we've been told that certain foods are bad or unhealthy.
And we experience anxiety around food because it's out of our control- we never know how much will be on our plate and when it will come. The double edged sword is that being restrictive and not eating properly can actually worsen our anxiety over time due to inadequate nutrition.
Note that extreme food obsession and constant thoughts about food and eating can be a sign of an eating disorder. Please seek out mental health treatment if you feel this is a more serious issue for you. Click here for a list of resources to get started with finding treatment and support for eating disorders.
Journal on Your Food Habits
The first step to stopping obsessing over food is to understand if your food rules are benefiting you or not – changes are they are not. The biggest thing I see with food obsession is that you likely have a lot of rules and are restrictive around what you eat.
It can be hard to stop obsessing about food, feeling guilty about what you eat, or anxiety around food. I can understand how hard it is to break free and let go of these rules, so you are not alone.
One way of getting a handle on your relationship with food is by journaling. Through journaling, you can better understand your relationship around food.
Start by writing down the following:
What makes you obsessive about food?
What foods you let yourself eat and not?
What foods become triggers for you?
Why don't you think you’re able to consume these foods?
What foods do you feel guilty about after eating?
Then write in detail what it feels like when these feelings come up.
Keep a Food Diary
Ultimately, you have the power to change. There are lots of ways to start feeling better about your relationship with food and your body. Start by being mindful of what you're eating. Keep a food diary for one week to start with.
Write down everything you eat at each meal or snack, how hungry you were before eating it, how full you felt after eating it, whether or not you felt like it was worth the calories (i.e., if it tasted good), etc.
Afterward, notice patterns in your behavior- for example, do you feel more satisfied when you eat three small meals throughout the day rather than two large ones? How does overeating make you feel? Is there anything that seems to help curb any cravings?
Work with a professional who specializes in food psychology
Food obsession, guilt and anxiety are all very common issues experienced and you are not alone in this. Luckily, this is a problem that can be overcome with help.
The first step to reducing food-related anxiety is working with a professional who specializes in food psychology. They can help identify what thoughts or feelings about food lead you to feel anxious or guilty. They can also teach you how to slow down when you eat, which will help you better enjoy your meal – without the guilt.
With this information in hand, they'll work with you on identifying the best strategies for managing your stress around food. This could include relaxation techniques or mindfulness exercises designed specifically for eating. Your therapist may also recommend that you keep an anxiety / food diary to see if there are any patterns that emerge (as discussed above). From there, they'll develop a personalized plan for overcoming your anxieties about food.
If you’re ready to stop binge eating, stop emotional and stress eating, feel confident in your food choices, and make mindful and informed decisions around your food and health behaviors: it’s time for you to join The Method: Healthy Habits for Life.