Silencing the Food Cops: Learning to Trust your Body

Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC for Eating Disorder Hope.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be eating that”, or “Are you sure you need that second helping?”, or “You could probably do without that dessert”. The food police. They seem to be patrolling everywhere these days.

Questioning are natural born ability to eat intuitively and honor our bodies accordingly, the food police can take the form of mass media, a close friend, or perhaps a well meaning relative.

The truth of the matter is there is nobody else in the entire world who knows your body better than YOU!

Born with the Ability to Regulate

We are indeed born with this ability to regulate our intake naturally, without any external forces telling us how much to eat or when to stop eating. A perfect example of this is a baby who is beginning to eat solid foods.

Many babies at this phase will happily eat to their heart’s content until they are satisfied. Once that point of satisfaction is reached, babies often begin playing with their food as if to say, “I’ve had enough now”.

No matter how much you might try to get another spoonful of something in, they will often resist, pushing away the spoon or your hand, as their bodies have registered a level of fullness and satiety.

Losing the Ability to Intuitively Eat

We all began this way, but for many individuals, these intuitive eating signals become lost along our journey of life.

When we begin tuning out our body’s quiet signals and listening to external forces, we lose touch with the cues our body is giving us about hunger and fullness. Every time we choose to listen to someone or something that tries to govern how or what we should eat, the idea that our bodies cannot be trusted is reinforced.

Instead of heeding the criticism of the “food cops”, try practicing mindfulness to truly tune in to your body. Ask yourself, “Am I really feeling hungry right now”, “Does this food appeal to me?”, “Am I satisfied with what have I eaten or do I need something more to reach my fullness.”

Finding the Voice in Your Head Again

There is nobody else who can answer these questions better for yourself than you! All the innate wisdom you need about what to eat and how much to eat is already within you; you merely need to tune out the voices of the “food police” to listen to and honor your body and needs.

*Note: If you or a loved one is suffering with an eating disorder, it is important to understand that you are not at a phase or place where your body can be trusted. Eating disorders interfere with your body’s natural intuitive eating instincts.

Only when you have been medically and nutritionally restored from the eating disorder can you begin to learn to listen to and honor your body’s natural cues again. Be sure to work with a registered dietitian and a professional treatment team to help you overcome your eating disorder and to make peace with food and your body again.

Community Discussion – Share your Thoughts Here!

What external factors act as the “food police”? How you practice tuning into your own body?

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on November 19th, 2014
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com