Food guilt.
Okay, maybe when I was younger it wasn't so much feeling guilty about what I ate but rather feeling guilty that I got caught having things I knew I wasn't supposed to be eating without asking.
Now, as an adult, I find myself feeling guilty when I eat things that I know are not constructive towards my healthy eating journey and towards my journey of craving God more than I crave food.
Have you experienced it? That gnawing sense of guilt that we feel after we have reached for that tub of ice cream after the end of a stressful day? Or after you have sat and watched a movie and, without even realizing it, have polished off an entire bag of chips?
Do you ever wonder what it is that is making you feel that way?
According to Well and Good NYC's article When Food Makes You Feel Bad About Yourself, "post-dining guilt can be seriously damaging to your psyche."
I agree. However, not for the same reasoning that the article does.
I think that the guilt we are facing after we binge eat or make unhealthy food choices comes from within our heart. It is the guilt that we feel when we realize that we have turned to food instead of turning to God when we have had a bad or stressful day.
We have to consider what it is that causes us to binge eat or make unhealthy food choices to begin with.
When it comes to "dieting" most of us deny our bodies things that it actually needs. By doing this, we in turn start to turn to "pleasure foods" or foods that we know are not what our bodies need but rather what our body craves. This usually relates to sugary goodies.
It is these foods that make us feel less than satisfied and in turn, make us feel guilty about ourselves.
So what do we do? How do we balance out eating sensibly and healthy and not giving into our cravings?
First, and most important, is to pray. We need to remember that none of this would be possible without God. I know that I mention this each time I write. However, it truly has been the only thing that has kept me going lately. Without God I would have given up this journey a long time ago and I would not be where I am now.
Secondly, we need to listen to our bodies. This may mean allowing yourself to have a tiny treat every once in awhile. If this is what you need in order to refrain from binge eating and feeling guilty about your choices then go ahead! What works for one person with respect to their journey will not always work for you!
Lastly, turn to friends and family who can help you continue with your journey. Have an accountability partner; someone that you can talk to at the end of each week about how things have been going and the choices that you have made.
And don't be afraid to have that piece of chocolate at your next family function. We don't need to be ashamed of having a treat every now and then. We are, after all, allowed to treat ourselves occasionally too!
Dear friends, I urge you to bring all of your struggles before God when it comes to your journey to crave Him more. If you can feel the stress rising and know that this is a trigger to your unhealthy eating habits, come before God on bended knee and lay it all before the cross. You may just find yourself feeling satisfied without having to reach for that tub of Chocolate Fudge Crackle Ice Cream.
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