Food is NOT the Problem

Each Monday, millions jump into a new “fad diet,” focused on the food on their plate. Each Tuesday, millions of people hide in their pantries, binging on the food they “can’t” have, committing to start it all. over. again… next Monday. All the while, the cycle continues—blaming themselves for lack of willpower to “get healthy.” Hyperbolic, yes. But you get the point.

So just to be clear: Food is NOT the issue. Our relationship with food is what needs work.

Let’s think for a minute. Diet Culture is built around a set of rules that vary from diet to diet. Are mental and physical individual differences considered? Of course not.

Keto says, “Don’t eat carbs!”

Whole30 screams, “You can’t eat that! It’s processed!”

Weit Watchers reminds you, “Eat within these points, and you’ll be golden.”

And low-calorie diets just sit there subtracting every bite you take from your allotted calories.

Millions turn to Medical Weight Loss as a quick fix for the quantity of food eaten. Rarely, do they consider the quality of the food they eat after the medical intervention. Bariatric Surgery reduces the amount of food a person can consume by limiting the capacity of the stomach, and prescription medications merely act as appetite suppressants. That’s not good enough. It’s a bandaid attempt at a far deeper issue.

We must repair our relationship with food before we can create a lifetime success with any food consumption strategy.

First step in repairing our relationship with food is ditching diet culture and the things that come with it.

Get rid of Food Morality: let’s face it. Food doesn’t have a set of human morals. So why assign the “good” and “bad” labels? It may sound like this,“I was really bad this weekend, I need to be good again on Monday.”

You do NOT need to earn your food. Have you ever said, “I need to work out today to earn dessert.”

For the love of all things glittery, can we trash cheat days? Cheating assigns morality and harsh restrictions.

When we place harsh food restrictions on ourselves, we shift our personal “wins” and “failures” onto the food itself—an unworthy recipient, if you ask us.

So what’s the answer? How do we respond to the millions grasping at (smoothie) straws?

It’s simple: we adjust our thinking.

Mealtime should be peaceful and enjoyable. A time to share conversations with friends, appreciate the diverse spices and flavors we taste, and reset for the tasks ahead.

How do we discuss our relationship with food? The next generation is listening. Creating a healthy relationship is easier than repairing a destructive relationship, so give them a step up.

Practical steps for putting a positive spin on your food relationship:

1. Begin a food journal. Maybe this sounds quirky, but tracking why you eat what you eat and how it affects your body is more important than tracking the metrics (calories and macros). Tracking the calories ignores the mental and emotional needs of our bodies. Even if a calorie tracker looks great on paper, the reality is that our bodies require certain nutrients and often crave what we’re lacking (e.g., nutrient or mineral deficiencies). Secondly, our food intake can be directly correlated with unresolved emotions. Understanding our hunger levels when we eat, how foods make us feel after we eat them, and the emotions that come up can help support a healthier relationship with food and in turn create a more sustainable plan for you to reach your health goals.

2. Ask questions before you eat. The Half Belly Health Food & Fitness App creates space around these questions. By recording the answers and asking the questions, you can better understand and recognize patterns in your hunger and emotions.

3. Ask questions after you eat. You can add your responses to your journal! Some question prompts to start with are:

   1. How did that meal make me physically feel?

   2. Am I satisfied physically?

   3. What emotions did I feel eating this meal?

   4. What was the flavor like?

Stop tracking without direction and start tracking with professional feedback.

Looking for a way to track your meals in a shame and guilt-free way? Gain awareness, repair relationships with food, and receive shame-free education with Half Belly Health’s Food & Fitness Feedback program.

Track your meals and movement in a way that gives you professional feedback and meets you where you are in your health journey! Instead of counting calories, focus on stress levels, daily scheduling, and relationships—the factors that affect your food consumption.

Far more cost-effective than many popular “diet plans” (think less than $50 per month), we train YOU to recognize your eating patterns and develop sustainable habits. Learn more about our Food, Fitness, and Feedback program here.