Subtle forms of restriction around food

I was in the office the other day and was overhearing a conversation between two colleagues. They were discussing how one of them was participating in Intermittent Fasting in order to lose weight. They mentioned how they would stop eating around a specific time as it’s “not good to eat late” and would resume eating again just before midday the following day. They mentioned that, after doing it for a while now, their body no longer feels hunger beyond their allowed eating times and they’ve adjusted to the new pattern of eating. This made me want to discuss the subtle restriction and beliefs we may have towards food and health which don’t seem big, but are part of our every day.

Throughout our entire lives, we’ve heard and learnt truths and myths around food, eating, health and exercise. We may be living by these truths and myths without even knowing we are, until we sit down and reflect on our beliefs, whether they are correct and if we want to continue living in that way. There are so many subtle restrictions we place on ourselves they can be hard to notice when they’ve become so normal to us.

Last week, I discussed the different between Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating where I gave definitions. Disordered Eating is when a person has abnormal and dysfunctional behaviours and beliefs regarding food. Dieting and restriction are common symptoms of Disordered Eating. Subtle examples of restriction include:

Not eating when feeling hunger

Fearing/avoiding certain foods because of health claims (apart for medical reasons like allergies and intolerances)

Physically no longer able to recognise body’s ability for hunger

Swapping foods for healthier alternatives in order to suppress cravings/foods being demonised

Eating in relation to emotion as a coping mechanism

Eating a certain amount of calories/macronutrients and no more in a given time

Earning your food for doing physical activity

Eating certain macronutrients only when participated in physical activity

Earning a dessert or sweet food only once a main meal was finished/had

Eating very large quantities of food in a short space of time

Avoiding social situations due to food being present

Awareness of what behaviours are restrictive is the first step in healing a relationship with food. By noticing them, you begin to question their impact in your life. Are these thoughts and behavours helpful to me? Where did I pick up these up? Do I believe them or have these been imposed on me? Do I want to continue living this way?

If you’ve found you, or someone you may know, have some of the examples I listed above or similar, I strongly suggest booking a Free 15 Minute Discovery Call here to begin reworking your relationship with food, health, physical activity and body image.