Say No To Restriction
If a client is bingeing, it means they are restricting. If you’ve followed me for a while you know I’m anti-food restriction (not if there is medical necessity to restrict like a serious food allergy). Food is not the enemy! Restricting certain foods can lead to uncontrollable urges and overeating. Have you ever said, “I’m not gonna eat sugar all week” and then soon after binged on more sugary food than you would have eaten had you just honored your craving? Typical dieting restriction scenario: Wants cookie. Eats rice cake. Then eats diet approved low calorie cardboard “cookie.” Then eats whole box of cookies they were trying to avoid in the first place. Then restricts again because of shame and guilt. It’s a sucky cycle.
Try to make peace with food by giving yourself unconditional permission to eat without guilt. Studies have shown that people who diet often end up gaining weight in the long term, but intuitive eating can lead to your stable, natural and healthy weight range.
It can sound really scary, but permission is incredibly powerful & a critical part of healing your relationship with food. Here are some benefits of unconditional permission to eat:
Permission creates mental space to really figure out what you want and need.
When you feel restricted with foods, you automatically want the things you tell yourself you can’t have. If you give yourself permission, you often find that you don’t always want those things anymore, because now they aren’t forbidden.
Permission takes away the pressure of feeling like you have to be perfect, and by doing that, you’re now more focused on figuring out what’s right for you.
When we make peace with food, we take the power back. We know both girl scout cookies and broccoli are part of a balanced relationship with food. We know by allowing cookies, we remove the guilt, deprivation, shame, & fixation around them. We find cookies left over for months because we find when we’re allowed to always have it, we don’t always have to have it! It’s food, not world war; start making peace!️
Want more?
Access my online courses TiffanyRoeSchool.com.
Check out the Therapy Thoughts™️ Podcast anywhere you get your podcasts.
Get on the Client Request List at Mindful Counseling.
♥️ My Therapy thoughts are for educational purposes only and are not a replacement for a therapeutic relationship or individualized mental health or medical care.
Therapy and tacos for all,
T. Roe
