Ever found yourself sitting at a table, staring at the meals around you, the food in front of you, or at a restaurant observing what others are eating, and your go-to thought is negativity or judgement around certain foods? Examples like…
‘Wow that must have heaps of oil’ ‘That must have a lot of carbs in it’ ‘red meat causes cancer’ ‘I would feel guilty after eating that’ and the list goes on…
In all honesty, this has become the new normal around certain foods, a lot of foods even, and how we view them at first glance. Rather than thinking and observing the benefits around certain foods when we see them, we go straight to negative thoughts and influences that those foods MIGHT have on us. I say might because what we think ‘that will make me fat’ and ‘I can’t eat that’ etc, is the extreme of what could happen when eating that food, you are talking down on or restricting. When in all reality of it, it is over consumption of this food over a period of time that will make you ‘fat’ or gain weight, and It is, put simply, you telling yourself that you can’t eat it, that will force you to binge on that particular food!
Your destructive attitude towards certain foods usually starts from you telling yourself you ‘cant eat it as it will make you gain weight’, leading you to restrict it, which in the long term leads you to wanting it more and more until you cannot take it anymore. Moderation with these foods is key, and it begins with your attitude towards eating them and creating a balanced lifestyle that includes variety rather than negativity and restriction.
Next time you find yourself sitting there and judging or negatively labelling food, try and stop that thinking pattern in its tracks, and say to yourself the opposite of what you usually go straight to. Rather than ‘wow that has a lot of carbs’, think about the benefits of carbohydrates in your diet, in moderation, and how they are the building blocks to your readily available energy stores!
Instead of ‘I can’t eat chocolate like everyone else’, allow yourself 2-4 squares, or a smaller portion of dessert, so you are not isolating yourself and allowing yourself balance. This doesn’t mean every time you see everyone else doing something you should do the same, but the point I am trying to make is if you want it that badly, have it. Once a week, a fortnight etc is NOT going to STOP your progress, and it will create a more positive attitude and relationship with food.
Steering away from restriction can start with choosing YOUR favourite meals from the GMD range…just as a start ;)
- Bec
