{"id":4410,"date":"2023-06-02T18:27:43","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T11:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/6-ways-to-challenge-your-own-restrictive-food-rules\/"},"modified":"2023-06-02T18:27:43","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T11:27:43","slug":"6-ways-to-challenge-your-own-restrictive-food-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=4410","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways To Challenge Your Own Restrictive Food Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">E<\/span>ver heard a voice in your head say you can\u2019t eat past 8 p.m., can only have one dessert a day, must wait until noon for lunch, or need a vegetable with every meal? As convincing as those thoughts can be\u2014especially in our toxic, diet-centric society\u2014those <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/nutrition-rules-to-ignore\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/nutrition-rules-to-ignore\/\">rigid rules<\/a> come from the \u201cfood police,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/diet-culture-lies\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/diet-culture-lies\/\">which is neither helpful nor accurate<\/a>.<\/div>\n<p>While the name sounds kind of silly, this is a very real phenomenon. \u201cFood policing\u201d can look like judging what you eat or crave, thinking you \u201ccan\u2019t\u201d eat something because it\u2019s \u201cbad\u201d or \u201cwrong,\u201d or telling yourself you can only eat at certain times. Food policing can be done internally (aka, the voice in your head) or externally (saying it out loud to another person).<\/p>\n<p>Challenging the food police is the fourth <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intuitiveeating.org\/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.intuitiveeating.org\/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating\/\">principle of intuitive eating<\/a>, a weight-inclusive, evidence-based framework created by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.evelyntribole.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.evelyntribole.com\/\">Evelyn Tribole<\/a>, MS, RD, CEDRD-S and <a href=\"https:\/\/elyseresch.com\/EResch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/elyseresch.com\/EResch\/\">Elyse Resch<\/a>, MS, RD, CEDS-S, authors of <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FIntuitive-Eating-4th-Anti-Diet-Revolutionary%2Fdp%2F1250255198%2F%3Ftag%3Dwgtrx5526-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fgentle-nutrition%2F&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fgentle-nutrition%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FIntuitive-Eating-4th-Anti-Diet-Revolutionary%2Fdp%2F1250255198%2F%3Ftag%3Dwgtrx5526-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fgentle-nutrition%2F&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fgentle-nutrition%2F&amp;event_type=click\"><em>Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti Diet Approach<\/em><\/a>. We could go on and on about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gentle-nutrition\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gentle-nutrition\/\">intuitive eating and how great it is<\/a>, but basically, it entails listening to and trusting your body\u2019s needs and signals. (And it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/recreation.ucsd.edu\/2020\/11\/what-is-intuitive-eating-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/recreation.ucsd.edu\/2020\/11\/what-is-intuitive-eating-2\/\">backed by science<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>As we\u2019re sure you\u2019re familiar with, however, diet culture (so moralizing food, glorifying weight loss and thinness, and so on) is incredibly prevalent in social circles, advertisements, social media, the fitness and wellness industries, restaurants, and so much more. With all of that noise, how can we actually challenge or ignore the food police and overcome our own innocuous food rules? Ahead are some helpful tips from registered dietitians.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/challenge-food-rules\/\" current-title=\"6 Effective Ways To Challenge Restrictive Eating Habits and Have a Healthier Relationship With Food, According to Anti-Diet RDs\" current-image=\"Stocksy_txp16001ae3Qgb300_Small_3676537-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2022-12-01\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/challenge-food-rules\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/challenge-food-rules\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/challenge-food-rules\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>How to overcome the food police, challenge your own restrictive food rules, and finally eat intuitively<\/h2>\n<h3>Learn about all the ways the food police can show up\u2014and write them down<\/h3>\n<p>While you may already know that strict food rules are signs of the food police, you might not have recognized the more subtle examples yet. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/christinejbyrne.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/christinejbyrne.com\/\">Christine Byrne<\/a>, MPH, RD, LDN, a Raleigh-based private practice dietitian who specializes in eating disorders, the food police is \u201call the thoughts in your head guiding you away from your internal cues and cravings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf a pasta dish jumps out at you on a menu, but a voice in your head says you should choose a salad instead, that\u2019s the food police,\u201d Byrne says. \u201cIf you\u2019re hungry an hour after breakfast but think, \u2018I should wait until lunch to eat again,\u2019 that\u2019s the food police.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIf a pasta dish jumps out at you on a menu, but a voice in your head says you should choose a salad instead, that\u2019s the food police,\u201d Byrne says. \u201cIf you\u2019re hungry an hour after breakfast but think, \u2018I should wait until lunch to eat again,\u2019 that\u2019s the food police.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Byrne suggests writing these thoughts down so you can see them more clearly. Then, once you\u2019re able to call those thoughts out as unhelpful, your relationship with food can become more healthy as you trust your body more (and diet culture less). Remember: Your body knows what it needs and will tell you. Trust it!<\/p>\n<h3>Remind yourself that no food is \u201cbad\u201d or makes you \u201cbad\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>Diet culture likes to tell us that an apple is \u201cgood\u201d and cake is \u201cbad.\u201d It can also ignite fear, going as far as to say we\u2019re \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad\u201d people depending on something as trivial as what we eat\u2014and that\u2019s simply not true.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can challenge the food police by remembering there\u2019s no such thing as \u2018good\u2019 or \u2018bad\u2019 foods,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/veritascollaborative.com\/about-us\/leadership-team\/jillian-lampert\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/veritascollaborative.com\/about-us\/leadership-team\/jillian-lampert\/\">Jillian Lampert<\/a>, PhD, MPH, RD, LDN, FAED, the chief strategy officer of <a href=\"https:\/\/veritascollaborative.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/veritascollaborative.com\/\">Veritas Collaborative<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.emilyprogram.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.emilyprogram.com\/\">The Emily Program<\/a>. \u201cDifferent foods provide different nutrients and fulfill different needs for people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/diet-culture-wellness\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/diet-culture-wellness\/\">Our bodies require different types and amounts of food<\/a>, and that\u2019s okay. Remember, all foods have nutrients of some sort, being fed is best, and your worth isn\u2019t in what you eat or how much you exercise.<\/p>\n<h3>Follow food-positive accounts<\/h3>\n<p>What you see on social media may make a bigger impact on your thinking than you realize. \u201cSurround yourself with positive media messaging,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/lalsupriyas.wixsite.com\/website\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/lalsupriyas.wixsite.com\/website\">Supriya Lal<\/a>, RD, MPH, a dietitian in New York City. \u201cUnfollow influencers that promote a harmful diet culture [and] engage with accounts that promote body and [food] positivity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This can be tricky, since diet culture can be spread in such insidious ways, even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/fallacy-intuitive-fasting\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/fallacy-intuitive-fasting\/\">co-opting intuitive eating language<\/a>. A few reliably brilliant (and thoughtful) accounts to get you started on Instagram are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/find.food.freedom\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/find.food.freedom\/?hl=en\">@find.food.freedom<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/no.food.rules\/?utm_source=ig_embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/no.food.rules\/?utm_source=ig_embed\">@no.food.rules<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thenutritiontea\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thenutritiontea\/?hl=en\">@thenutritiontea<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/CsEFGFXuDhB\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\"><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Remember that obsessing about \u201chealth\u201d isn\u2019t healthy<\/h3>\n<p>Health isn\u2019t just about physical health\u2014it\u2019s also, equally or more so, about mental health. And focusing on diet culture tales or the food police can be damaging all around. \u201cWhat you eat does affect your health and mood, but adhering to rigid rules and restrictions can quickly spiral into obsession, self-punishment, and shame, which in some cases can lead to an eating disorder,\u201d Lampert says.<\/p>\n<p>Only eating foods that the food police is happy with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/disordered-eating-signs-of-orthorexia\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/disordered-eating-signs-of-orthorexia\/\">can be or lead to orthorexia, a type of eating disorder<\/a>. Physically, this can lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationaleatingdisorders.org\/learn\/by-eating-disorder\/other\/orthorexia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.nationaleatingdisorders.org\/learn\/by-eating-disorder\/other\/orthorexia\">malnutrition and other health consequences similar to those of anorexia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Set boundaries with people in your circle<\/h3>\n<p>You may have friends or family you love who are on diets and make hurtful comments. If their words and behaviors are making it hard for you to eat intuitively and challenge the food police, how can you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/respond-to-food-shaming\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/respond-to-food-shaming\/\">still enjoy time with them<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>You may have to initiate that awkward (yet vital) conversation. \u201cSet boundaries with friends and family around what sort of commentary is helpful or harmful around food and intake,\u201d Lal says.<\/p>\n<p>Need some examples of how to word it? In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/almond-mom-behavior\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/almond-mom-behavior\/\"><em>Well+Good<\/em> article about \u201calmond mom\u201d behavior<\/a>, Cara Bohon, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist, eating disorder expert, vice president of clinical programs at Equip, and clinical associate professor at Stanford University, shared the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cI\u2019d appreciate it if our conversations didn\u2019t revolve around food anymore. I don\u2019t enjoy discussing our eating habits.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWe\u2019re all different, and what works for you doesn\u2019t work for me. Let\u2019s not talk about it anymore.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cIt makes me uncomfortable when we talk about this. Can we talk about something else?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Notice the thought nonjudgmentally, then let it pass<\/h3>\n<p>Last but not least, remember self-compassion. Having a food police voice doesn\u2019t mean you aren\u2019t trying or doing well, or that you\u2019re a \u201cbad\u201d person. You\u2019re also not alone in the experience, and it\u2019s understandable why.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe goal of intuitive eating, particularly at the beginning, isn\u2019t necessarily to never have a food police thought again,\u201d Byrne says. \u201cWe all live in diet culture, so we\u2019re surrounded by diet-y messaging all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe goal of intuitive eating, particularly at the beginning, isn\u2019t necessarily to never have a food police thought again,\u201d Byrne says. \u201cWe all live in diet culture, so we\u2019re surrounded by diet-y messaging all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Instead of judging yourself, Byrne recommends calling the thought out for what it is\u2014the (unhelpful) food police\u2014and letting it pass. \u201cYou can even visualize it as a cloud that slowly passes overhead until it\u2019s out of sight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, challenging the food police is about honoring and respecting your body (even if you don\u2019t love it). It does so much for you and is the only one you\u2019ll ever have, so treat it right!<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimers__after_content mb-[18px] mt-[16px] pt-[16px]\">\n<div class=\"outline-earmark relative mt-[8px] pt-[10px] pl-[20px]\">\n<p>\n            Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever heard a voice in your head say you can\u2019t eat past 8 p.m., can only have one dessert a day, must wait until noon for lunch, or need a vegetable with every meal? As convincing as those thoughts can be\u2014especially in our toxic, diet-centric society\u2014those rigid rules come from the \u201cfood police,\u201d which is &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}