It could be that I'm Portuguese and Catholic, which my father calls "guilt squared," but does anyone else feel horribly guilty when they're full or eat something particularly delicious or the like? I'm starting to feel bad when I enjoy food and like I'm doing the right thing when I'm hungry. I mean. I'm definitely eating enough (between 1400 and 1750 a day), and I know I will continue to, both on my own accord and because of my fiance, but these feelings are getting scary. I've only been doing this for 3 weeks, so I'm hoping they'll subside as they adjust, but I'm dieting because I'm unhappy being fat. I don't want to be unhappy being thinner, too!
My advice here is to right down foods that you eat that end up making you feel guilty. I actually have a hard time dealing with this as well and the only thing I find that works is to record things that make me feel like crap and I don't touch them again. I know it seems extreme, but that's the only way I could get purging out of my life for good. I also cannot make myself too full, otherwise I feel aweful. Maybe try to stop before you get "stuffed" and then eat something small later on as well. I do this...I eat about 8-10 times a day because I don't like feeling too full. Sounds rediculous, but it keeps me from getting too obsessive.
It's a good thing you're figuring it out before you get further into your new lifestyle. Seriously think about finding substitutes for those things that make you feel yucky. GOod luck!
I felt strange when I first began and was realizing how easily I could feel full (and sometimes stuffed!) on vegetables and lean meats. I thought "I must be doing something wrong... here I am eating something tasty & filling, and it's actually helping me to lose weight!".
After a few weeks, I began to realize that this should be a normal pattern. Feeling satisfied with a healthy, delicious meal is a good thing! It ends up that, now, if I'm eating something and it's not filling & good tasting I realize I'm "doing it wrong".
I'm not a guilt-machine, but I admit that at times, when I feel really satisfied after a healthy meal with plenty of vegetables, I still tend to think "okay, where's the catch? Surely I did something wrong?" But these occurrences tend to happen less and less often. Maybe it will be the same for you?
If I'm eating delicious food that's on my plan in the right portions, there's no need to feel guilt.
If I go out to dinner and split a creme brulee because I planned it, I don't feel guilt.
But if I start cramming food in my mouth without thinking about it -- delicious or not -- that's when I want to feel guilt, so that I can stop myself from doing it again.
I'm hoping so... it's getting really hard to view eating and something remotely enjoyable instead of as a necessary chore.
I feel the same, could be the Catholic thing, lol.
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Originally Posted by heather
For me it comes down to mindfulness
If I'm eating delicious food that's on my plan in the right portions, there's no need to feel guilt.
Agreed, but I think it also comes down to the process of developing a healthier relationship with food, and that it can take a while to do so.
I'm finding that writing down everything I eat (sort of a different topic, but related to mindfulness I suppose) helps me to analyze things more clearly and then, later on, I find myself making better choices in general, automatically, and not feeling bad about things I shouldn't feel bad about.
I have never, ever felt guilty about on-plan eating...only sometimes when I get off-plan. Maybe you could work on some affirmations to help you feel less bad about feeding your body? They seem hokey at first, but really can change your perceptions and internal conversation when something makes you feel bad.
So, for example, let's imagine you're sitting down to a healthy, on-plan meal. It is nutritionally sound, well-prepared, and fits with your eating goals. You might say to yourself (out loud works best) "I'm so happy to be fueling my body with the nutrients in this food, and glad that it meets my goals. Eating this way makes me feel stronger and healthier".
A while of affirming your healthy eating might help you eliminate guilt when you eat. Just an idea!
i do the same thing. the other night i was below my daily intake but full. i felt like i had cheated or something. then i had to remind myself that i don't have to be starving to lose weight.
Guilt
