Today we continue our Intuitive Eating in Real Life (IRL) series. Today is all about Intuitive Eating in Real Life Principle 4 Challenge the Food Police.
In case you missed it:
- What is Intuitive Eating?
- Intuitive Eating Principle 1: Reject the Diet Mentality
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 1
- Intuitive Eating Principle 2: Honor Your Hunger
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 2
- Intuitive Eating Principle 3: Make Peace with Food
- Intuitive Eating in Real Life: Principle 3
- Intuitive Eating Principle 4: Challenge the Food Police
First up, exciting news – the latest edition, the 4th edition, of the Intuitive Eating book came out last week! I pre-ordered it months ago and I am so excited to dive in!
INTUITIVE EATING PRINCIPLE 4 CHALLENGE THE FOOD POLICE
The snapshot of Intuitive Eating Principle 4 is: “Scream a loud “No” to thoughts in your head that declare you are “good” for eating minimal calories or “bad” because you ate a piece of chocolate cake. The Food Police monitor the unreasonable rules that dieting has created. The police station is housed deep in your psyche and its loudspeaker shouts negative barbs, hopeless phrases, and guilt-provoking indictments. Chasing the Food Police away is a critical step in returning to Intuitive Eating.”
Intuitive Eating in Real Life Principle 4 Challenge the Food Police
Intuitive Eating Principle 4 is perhaps the most challenging for people. It is all about bringing awareness to the “Food Police” thoughts and voices we have in our heads. Many of these thoughts and dieting “rules” have been ingrained in us from a young age. Perhaps from grandparents, parents, siblings, TV, movies, magazines, advertisements, etc. We live in a diet culture driven society and these messages about foods that are “bad” or around “cheat” days leaves us feeling unsettled and riddled with GUILT.
The Intuitive Eating process, and this Principle in particular, require a lot of patience, kindness, and compassion. We didn’t learn dieting behaviors overnight so we can’t expect to un-learn them overnight either.
In the Intuitive Eating book and workbook, the authors do a great job of describing different Food Police voices that might come into play. Not all are bad. Some can be helpful when they are neutral, nonjudgmental, and supportive. Choosing to eat a food that you know will make you feel good physically is completely different than avoiding a food that you have deemed as “bad” or “sinful.” It seems nuanced, but it really is a mindset shift that is quite powerful.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT INTUITIVE EATING
Here is what some people in my online Intuitive Eating Focus Group are saying as they continue this Intuitive Eating journey:
“I struggle with food police big time in my own head. I always think about my food choices and if I should eat something or not. I often have guilt after enjoying something I “shouldn’t” have eaten. This is a big problem for so many in so many ways. I remember my dad saying “a moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips” about something when I was younger. All that to say I think this is a critical part of this process and also really, really hard. We are so conditioned from years of thinking a certain way. I do think letting go of just one food rule would be a helpful start.”
“It’s been a challenge to let go of some diet rules. I still find myself counting calories in my head because it’s been a part of my routine for so long. However, because I have been so much more compassionate with myself, though not at all perfect, I find myself eating what is considered “bad” foods in front of people. I used to eat ice cream and other stuff in private because of my shame. I don’t feel near as ashamed for eating dessert now that I’m actively trying to silence the food police.“
“I’m noticing more often when friends of mine call certain foods “bad” or “unhealthy.” My roommate and I went out to eat a couple weeks ago and I noticed she was really conflicted about what to get. She had no idea what she wanted and kept saying “I can’t have this because I ate so badly this weekend, but I really want it.” Hearing thoughts like that just brings me back to my dark days when the food police influenced a lot of my decisions and simple things like ordering food caused me great anxiety. It makes me so sad and I want to help them dump the food police, too.“
“I have definitely struggled with all kinds of negative thinking. Once my mind wandered to the “If….then…” statements it led me down the rabbit hole of other negative self-talk. Optimistic thinking helped A LOT. When something doesn’t go as planned, there is always something good that can come out of it. If I overeat – I stop and think about how I might have under fueled earlier in the day or what emotional “trigger” might have led to overeating.“
“Once I start eating a food I have deemed as “bad” I will often finish the sleeve/bag/tub to ensure that others around me don’t judge me for my food choice. Why does their approval weigh into my eating habits? Did I really need that Oreo or snack at that specific time of day? Was I listening to my hunger mechanism or eating because it was forbidden and in eating I gained control over my environment?”
“So many good things in this chapter. I like the idea of keeping an Intuitive Eating journal to help with replacing negative thinking and helping with self-awareness.”
Additional Thoughts on Intuitive Eating Principle 4
Wow! Can you feel the emotions coming out of these quotes? Have you felt something similar around your food choices or your body?
Remember, the Food Police voice and thoughts may never go away completely and that is okay. You can begin to challenge these thoughts and take action that is in line with your values and goals regardless of what the Food Police voice is telling you to do (or not do).
YOU are in control. The choice to eat or not eat is always yours and any choice you make is valid and okay. There are no right or wrongs and it is all a chance for you to learn, “how did that make me feel?” and “is that something I want to do again?” rather than going down a shame or guilt spiral.
What Food Police thoughts do you have on repeat in your head? How are these thoughts serving you? How are they affecting how you feel and think about food and therefore how you feel and think about yourself when you choose to eat or not eat those foods? What would it be like to let go of just ONE food rule?
Taking action before we feel “ready” is huge! In my experience, taking action is the fastest way to change our mindset and thinking around food, nutrition, and habits.
REMINDER
This blog and Instagram series I am doing is not meant to be a replacement for reading the Intuitive Eating book or working through the Intuitive Eating Workbook. Rather it’s to provide an overview of the Intuitive Eating concept and principles to bring more awareness to the fact that there is an alternative to dieting and restricting.
As always, if you need additional guidance and support via individual nutrition coaching or counseling, please reach out or join one of my Intuitive Eating group coaching cohorts!
