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Do you suffer from overeating guilt?
For most of us, food is more than just the nourishment needed for our survival, it's also an emotional roller coaster (with many ups and downs). One slice of chocolate cake can take us from desire to exhilaration to satisfaction and land us right into guilt. Which is exactly why they call it a guilty pleasure. But should we really feel guilty for eating something simply for the pleasure of it? Of course not. So why do we?
I'll be the first to admit that sometimes it's easy to get sucked into that (post-indulge) guilt. But the truth is that the guilt can actually be the catalyst that spirals us into more emotional eating and even more guilt. The remedy is to not allow yourself to fall victim to overeating guilt from the start.
When you make a mistake, treat yourself with kindness.
As with everything in life, we need to embrace our imperfections. And regardless of how committed we are to a particular diet or healthy eating program, we always have to leave room for occasional guilty pleasures. Try to focus on the "pleasure" part of a guilty pleasures If you're going to over-indulge, at least enjoy every moment and savor every bite of your indulgence.
Here are some tips to help you avoid overeating and the guilt that often follows ...
1. Understand that food is not your enemy; it's fueling your body and allowing you to survive.
2. Attempt to enjoy all of your meals. This is much easier if you choose a healthy diet plan that is based on foods you already enjoy. For instance, if you don't like to eat meat, don't choose the Atkins Diet.
3. Avoid diet plans that leave you feeling deprived and hungry. You are less likely to fall off of your healthy eating plan if you're not hungry all the time. For more on this check out my BlogHer post What Is Your Eating Style?.
4. Try to maintain a positive attitude toward yourself and your diet. Stop any negative self-talk. If you walk by a mirror, don't tell yourself you look fat. Also see my post Healthy Eating: Evaluating Your Success, Not Failure.
5. Acknowledge all the times when you've done well. Focus on all the times you have passed on a dessert or driven by the fast food joint rather than going in. Give yourself credit for your healthy eating successes, and don't be too hard on yourself when you lapse.
6. Attempt to figure out what your overeating "triggers" are, and then avoid them. Here is more on food triggers by That's Fit.
7. Reducing stress in your life can help you avoid emotional eating. For more on emotional eating check out my BlogHer post Your Mood and Food.
When it comes right down to it, guilt is just a perception, not a fact. It really is all in your head ... No one is walking past you projecting guilt upon you for overeating; you are projecting the guilt upon yourself, and you can stop. Negative emotions (such as guilt) only add to your desire to overeat. So take your diet one day at a time ... Every day you wake up is another opportunity to make healthy food choices and leave any guilt behind. You can do it.
More from women blogging about overeating ...
From Balanced Health and Nutrition - Overcome the Guilt of Overeating ...
I’m sure nearly everyone trying to manage their weight feels guilty when they overeat. There’s a reason they call it “stuffed.” It doesn’t feel good being bloated, especially after some time of eating reasonable portions and re-training the stomach to understand what a comfortable, full feels like.
From Small Steps to Health - One Simple Trick to Reduce Overeating ...
According to Mindless Eating, drinking a broth-based soup, a small side salad with non-creamy dressing, or a piece of fruit helps reduce the amount of calories eaten during a meal. These items consist of either fiber or mostly water which helps your stomach detect that satiated feeling to prevent overeating.
From Eating 101 - 3 Surprising Negative Effects of Overeating ...
The obvious negative effects of overeating are extra weight and jeopardized health. Most people are well aware of these negative effects. But overeating affects so many other aspects of your life, too. As a psychiatrist who has worked with overeaters
