It amazes me how the majority of people I come into contact with these days is either on a diet/eating healthy, or has a reason why they aren’t eating healthy. I’m not just referring to my weight loss clients either. I hear it every day from family, friends, and people in passing.
It seems to be the social norm for people to have an explanation as to why they are having that slice of pizza or piece of cake. It’s as if people think it’s not ok to indulge in foods that they may enjoy, but are deemed as “bad” or unhealthy.
It is becoming more and more evident to me that most people out there have some sort of issue with food and their thoughts surrounding it. “I’m not eating carbs today,” “I’m pregnant, so I’m eating for two,” “I’m trying to be good,” are just a few examples of the types of things we have all gotten used to hearing or saying. I honestly don’t know many people who just eat what they want and don’t feel the need to explain or justify their choices to themselves or others.
So, why is food such a big topic of conversation? I don’t know about you, but I don’t really care what anyone else is eating, nor do I really find conversations about food very enjoyable (unless I’m coaching you of course). There are plenty of other things I’d like to discuss in my free time, other than the latest diet craze, juice cleanse, or how today is a “cheat day” for you. So what is the obsession with it all?! For many, it’s the desire to control how others perceive them.
Clients complain to me that they can’t go out to dinner with friends and make healthy choices because others will make a big deal about it. Others say they are embarrassed to order a cheeseburger at a lunch with friends who are eating salad. The truth is though, we cannot control what others think about what we are eating, nor does it matter. The only thing that matters is how you think about it, and most of us have been trained to think of food as good and bad, a reward or a deprivation. Wouldn’t it feel so much better to eat what you want, when you want, and not feel the need to justify anything ever?
Coaching clients on weight loss and their relationships with food, my training, as well as some of my own hang-ups, has opened my eyes to the fact that there is a broad spectrum of disfunction when it comes to food and eating habits. Most people out there have some level of fear when it comes to food. People choose to let their thoughts about food consume them and control their lives, rather than realizing food is just fuel. That’s it. It is fuel to keep our bodies running, and some just happen to taste better than others.
An interesting thing though, is that many ideas people have around food are often based on lies. People are convinced that carbs will make them blow up overnight if they eat a bagel, yet in the 90’s when people were brainwashed into thinking no fat diets were the way to lose weight, all people ate were carbs because they had little to no fat. People were afraid of cheese because it was high in fat, but now many nutritionists will recommend eating cheese because it’s high in protein and is filling. Another example is clients who are afraid that eating junk food will make them gain weight, so they think they have to cut it out completely. After a few sessions we uncover that they currently eat a lot of unhealthy foods, yet seem to be maintaining their current weight and are not gaining. This ultimately debunks their notions that they can never indulge again and be at a weight with which they are happy. With some fine tuning, weight loss could be relatively easy for most with just a few minor changes, and once they are at a point where they are ready to maintain, those junk foods that they thought should be off limits, can be enjoyed in moderation.
Some foods are better than others when it comes to running our bodies more efficiently. Others slow us down. What is good for one person, may not be good for another though. This is true in regards to what’s good both physically and mentally. Weight loss and maintenance is all about trial and error and paying attention to how our bodies and minds feel. Being conscious of your thoughts about food is huge too, and asking yourself why food is such a big deal, may uncover a lot of limiting beliefs and lies you have been telling yourself.
Pay attention to your body. Pay attention to your thoughts. Food can be a non issue. I am living proof of someone who once spent years obsessing about it, and now eats when I’m hungry, stops when I’m full, eats what I want, and thinks very little about it. It’s not so much about the food, it’s about your thoughts about food, and with a little retraining of your mind, you can do it too!
For more information on coaching for weight loss, emotional eating, or unhealthy relationships with food, email me at melanie@melanierudnick.com
