I am going to keep this Friday post short & sweet. I wish you and yours a fabulous Friday and weekend ahead. If you are someone who is hard on themselves, who previously or currently is struggling with disordered eating, or who is currently restricting food in the hopes that you will attain a body type that will ultimately make you happy- then I beg you to drop the food rules and enjoy your food, this weekend and onward.
I know. It can be daunting and feel like your goals are unattainable without lessening your food intake. That’s not the case. Please let me guide you as a nutrition expert and someone who has personally struggled with multiple eating disorders over the course of 15 years. Restriction is NOT the answer. There’s another way.
Curious as to how I can help? Book your free consult here to get started. See you next week! 💖 Danielle, your friendly dietitian
If you want to engage in this post, comment your favorite food int he comments below! ⬇️ I would love to hear. 😊
I just returned from my trip to NYC 🌃 and Montreal, Quebec in Canada 🇨🇦. While I consider myself fully recovered from my eating disorder, I was surprisingly challenged on this trip when old notions and negative thoughts surfaced surrounding food. This specifically occurred after my husband suggested we get pizza in NYC. You see, I wasn’t really hungry after having a late bagel sandwich for breakfast. I am now very in tune with listening to my hunger and fullness cues, so I just didn’t want to force feed myself or feel heavy after eating such a rich meal (or so I told myself). Part of my reasoning was the meal choice… but I hesitantly agreed because I could tell my husband wanted the pizza, so we ordered and sat down. Before diving in, I kicked my negative thoughts butt and said, “Danielle, you are in New York City. Eat and enjoy the damn pizza! 🍕 “. And I did just that without looking back. Now, was the pizza a fully balanced meal? NOPE. Did I listen to my body in that moment? NOPE. Did I listen to my heart and soul? YUP. In that moment, I chose to live a full, happy, and food freedom of a life, and damn 👏 it 👏 felt 👏 good. 😜 Good enough, in fact, that I’m now writing this blog post to share with y’all in the hopes of reaching someone else who needs to hear this.
Let me break down the nature of feeling guilty or shameful after eating certain foods. Dieting, restriction of food, and disordered eating patterns partly stem from seeking control. When we travel, our routine is naturally thrown off beat, which can lead to making you feel even more out of control. A shift in routine + food access and food choices looking differently can really affect someone who is accustomed to specific eating patterns, is sensitive, or struggles with mental health issues. This is quite normal.
But does deviating from our normal eating habits mean that we “fell off the wagon” and should feel guilty? HELL to the NO, boo! Vacation implies relaxation and enjoyment, and stressing about your food intake sounds like the last thing I want to be doing on vacay. Do you agree? P.S. This applies to everyday living as well, not just vacay btw!
So how can we eat what we want on vacation (and always) while still applying gentle nutrition strategies? Great question! Let me start by defining gentle nutrition. Gentle nutrition is taking the nutrition knowledge acquired from a credible source and applying it to what we WANT to eat. In other words, it’s a way to add nutritious foods to our diet without feeling limited or restricted in any way.
A quick run down looks like this. ➡️ A simplified balanced plate contains a 1. carb, 2. protein and 3. veggie. Let’s say you find yourself traveling to NYC like I did and you want to try NYC style pizza 🍕 . First of all, great choice! 😉 I always explain to my clients that the crust of the pizza is the carb, the cheese is the fat and minimal protein, and the meat is the protein. So, is that a balanced meal? It could be with the addition of veggies! Did I have any veggies on my pizza? NOPE. Do I regret it? NOPE. But guess what? I could have easily ordered a veggie on my pizza or ordered a side salad to get that component in. YES! Pizza can be considered a balanced meal. 🤯 You’re welcome for that bit of information.
Instead, I chose to incorporate my veggies with dinner and at other meals that day. THIS is food freedom + gentle nutrition. Choosing, accepting, honoring and enjoying our food choices without the guilt or shame but then adding the fruits, veggies, and other nutrients when we can to provide our body with the actual nutrients it needs to thrive and feel its best.
Food doesn’t always have to be perceived in terms of calories or labeled as “good”, “bad”, “healthy” or “unhealthy”. There are just some foods that are more nutrient-dense than others and each one provides its own nutrition profile of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, and macros. The end. Let’s not overcomplicate this.
In addition, will eating a certain way on vacation contribute to such a change in your body composition that it will “ruin” all of your previous hard work, progress, or that it will make it difficult to come back from? HAHA NOPE. Do you know how difficult it is to gain pure fat in a short amount of time like vacation? This perceived weight gain is usually water weight retention we experience from being dehydrated, consuming alcohol and excess salt or carbs.
So, the next time you find yourself doubting your food choices, whether in everyday life or on vacation, try to catch yourself and reframe with these helpful reminders. ⬇️
I require food to live.
Food is fuel for my body, despite its form.
I can have my fruit/veggies later.
I deserve to enjoy my food.
Food is pleasurable.
I am allowed to eat any and all foods.
Food is not toxic to my body.
Food is not good nor bad since it has no moral value.
All food contains some nutrition.
Did this resonate with you? Do you want to continue improving your relationship with food? Schedule your FREE nutrition consultation here to get started.
Feed Me Happy 