The Pull of Forbidden Fruit (or chips, candy, cookies, etc...)
Hear me out on this one folks.
“I just can’t keep that stuff in my house- I’ll end up eating it all” is a common refrain I hear so often- from clients, friends, you all here on IG.
And I absolutely spent MANY years keeping foods I deemed ‘addictive’ or ‘unhealthy’ out of my own house too.
A pint of ice cream would disappear REALLY fast.
But here’s what I’ve learned- not only from my own experiences with Intuitive Eating, but in years of digging into the research of dieting...
Restriction- in a real physical sense but also when you mentally label foods to avoid- is the BIGGEST predictor of binging.
If you never allow certain foods in your house, then OF COURSE you’re going to eat it when you get your hands on it for ‘just this once’.
I don’t believe any food or ingredient- nope, not even sugar- is addictive (and the studies that say sugar is as addictive as cocaine were done on 🐀 AND were determined after RESTRICTING them from it).
But I believe the FEELING that you’re addicted is very real.
This is what dieting has done to us.
It’s messed with our ability to trust ourselves- to make choices based on our needs AND wants.
I’m not saying that it’s easy to go from strong beliefs about what you can have and can’t have- to actually trusting yourself around food.
It’s not, and it takes a lot of practice (why would it be easy when you’ve spent your whole life living by someone else’s rules??).
It’ll feel all sorts of uncomfortable and wrong and you’ll question if you can even do it.
Well, that’s what it was like for me for the first year or so.
But in the end, a life without dieting is worth all the work it takes to create one.
Your relationship with food will always matter more than what you actually eat- and one most definitely affects the other.
Author
Gretchen
Coach
Growing up I was a half-hearted athlete who struggled with my relationship with both food and exercise. I smoked for over a decade and spent much of my youth either binging or not eating at all. But after breaking my leg in a car accident, months of physical rehab and years of psychological counseling lead me to a renewed appreciation for my health and my ability to just move-something I'll never take for granted again. I overcame a lot and have spent much of my life sharing what I've learned. I became a NASM personal trainer over 16 years ago. The type of clients I've trained and my own personal interests lead me to attain many other certifications. These include Sports Specific and Orthopedic exercise specializations, Pre and Post Natal exercise, MMA conditioning, and ACE Mind Body Specializations. I've taken 2 TRX qualifying courses in general and functional fitness. I am Kettlebell certified through both NETA and Kettlebell Kings, also completing an independent study facilitated by Steve Cotter, founder of the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation. I am also a certified Animal Flow Instructor. In the fall of 2021, I became a Certified Intuitive Eating Facilitator, as IE was integral to my own ability to divest from diet culture. I think this was the missing piece to be able to put together a holistic, meaningful training program for all my clients.
