Have you ever found yourself talking about the “naughty” or “bad” foods that you’ve eaten (or are going to eat later)? Have you ever allocated “sins” to a food? What about working your butt off at the gym or with home workouts to “earn” the food you want to eat later?
It’s hardly surprising that many of us have a less than ideal relationship with food when we view nutrition in these terms. And the reality is that you’re unlikely to out-train your diet if it’s not balanced – most people tend to burn 10% or less of their daily energy expenditure through exercise. Plus you’re likely not seeing the full benefits of your workout if your nutrition isn’t balanced – see here.
Many of the foods that we’re referring to here are very deliberately and strategically developed to be both hugely appealing and addictive (see here for more info). And, along with many of our longstanding habits (e.g. cereal for breakfast, wine o’clock, etc.), they make it hard for us to really tune into what our body is feeling and what it needs.
My challenge to you is to be a detective and to look for ways to take back control. To notice what’s happening around you when you reach for / crave these foods. To what you’re feeling. To the need you’re looking to satisfy. To the things in your environment that make willpower and motivation difficult. And to start making small, but powerful changes.
I know it would be better if there was a quick-fix, a tablet you could take, a diet you could follow, but we all know that there isn’t. Probably through experience of trying so many of those things and ending up back where we started.
Change comes from better understanding ourselves and our needs, from tuning in and slowing down and from having an environment that better supports us.
And if this is something that you need support with, please do get in touch at femalefitnessmatters@gmail.com . I’m looking for 5 women who genuinely want to change their relationship with food for the long term and are willing to dedicate at least 12 weeks to it.