If you’ve spent months, years, even decades dieting to lose weight or restricting foods, it can be difficult to learn how to trust your body again. Why is that?
At the very core of dieting for weight loss is the belief that you cannot trust your body. You’re taught that you should not believe or listen to your body’s cues for hunger, but rather trust a system of points, calories, or macros to determine what and how often you’re allowed to eat.
Overriding cues
In essence, dieting tells us that we should override our body’s natural cues and signals.
Feeling hungry at 10AM? Too bad, because you had a snack an hour ago. You aren’t allowed to have lunch for another two hours.
Still hungry after dinner? Tough luck, because you already had your allotted calories for the day. You aren’t allowed to eat anymore. Have a cup of herbal tea to fill you up before bed.
When we’re hungry, dieting tells us that we shouldn’t be. When we really want to have a particular food because we feel like eating it, dieting tells us we can’t because it’s too unhealthy, has too many calories, or is too fatty.
Dieting tells us that we cannot trust our body to make the right choices, and that we should override our body’s choices with our rational mind.
Disconnection between body and mind
Ultimately, this overriding your body’s requests for food causes a disconnect between the mind and body. Many people who have engaged in repeated dieting find that they’re no longer in touch with their body’s cues. They say that it’s difficult to know when they’re hungry or full, but it also extends to their emotions: they struggle to identify moments when they’re anxious, sad, stressed, or happy.
If you’re looking to improve your relationship with your body and step away from dieting, then re-establishing the connection with your body is an important step along the way. Once we reconnect with our bodies, we can learn to trust them and give them what they need: nourishment without judgment.
Reaching out for support
Reconnecting to your body may seem like an overwhelming task. Reaching out for support from a professional can be the first step towards healing your relationship with food.
As a body image counsellor and therapist, I work with people who want to make peace with their body and find food freedom. In our work together, we might focus on:
Helping you to become more compassionate towards yourself and your body, and exploring how you can introduce more self-compassion in your life and counter your inner critic
Learning new skills and techniques that allow you to become more aware of the physical sensations in your body
Learning more about how dieting can cut you off from your body’s signals and why that’s a very normal thing to happen
Exploring what hunger and fullness feel like to you, for example becoming aware of physical cues and your mental state before, during, and after eating
Exploring any events or relationships in your life that have impacted the connection with your body and processing them together
I’m a body image counsellor and therapist who works with people who are experiencing disordered eating, body image difficulties, and body dysmorphia. If the above sounds familiar to you and you’re looking for support, I am here for you.
Book your first session now via this link or email me at yasmine@outofthewoodscounselling.net to organise a free 15-minute discovery call.
