One of my favorite steps in Intuitive Eating is “Make Peace With Food.”
Food peace brings so much joy to your life that may not be in your life right now. Every person will need to make peace with food in their own way. But for a lot of people, that means eating foods that can be “binge foods”, “cheat foods”, “treats”, “off-limits”, whatever you call it!
Eating these foods in a way that works for you can be feel very different than bingeing on these foods– even though it’s the same food!
Deciding to reintroduce foods you have binged on or feel out of control around is a courageous move. But it’s not easy and most people end up spontaneously trying to “go ahead and eat the chocolate” and end up bingeing. Then they say “See, I can’t do it!” and give up and go back to dieting… then bingeing anyway… Is this you?
There are 3 actionable steps that you can take right now to feel good about any food.
- Nourish your body adequately on the day where you will be re-introducing this food. So many people binge eating when they have not eaten enough during the day. Talk to your dietitian about an appropriate amount to eat. This will be personalized according to YOU!
- Have this food as part of a balanced meal or snack. We always recommend this “exercise” as an exposure therapy that you should set up with your dietitian as part of your treatment. Many times, having this food with a support person or “out” with friends can be helpful too.
- Figure out the reasons why you binge eat! When you have insight into your behaviors, you can start to form a plan of action with your dietitian.
Contact Eat With Knowledge to set up an appointment for yourself or a loved one. We would be honored to work with you!
Jennifer is a Registered Dietitian and the owner of Eat With Knowledge in Nyack, NY. She is on a mission to help people heal from diets, and find peace and balance with their food choices. She leads a team of dietitians who support the philosophy, “Feel Fabulous about Food!”
If you are looking for support to heal your relationship with food, check out our Nutrition Counseling page here. If you are unable to become a client but would still like to learn from us, you can purchase our Eat With Knowledge Roadmap here!