Ditch the Diet: 4 Reasons I Have No Forbidden Foods
Navigating our relationship with food can be a complex journey, filled with challenges and triumphs. If you’ve ever felt burdened by the constant battle of forbidden foods, you’re not alone. Many of us have struggled with the guilt, stress, and frustration that comes with rigid food rules.
At BeyondFit Food, we believe in a different approach—a philosophy centered on food freedom. We understand the toll that forbidden foods can take on your mental and emotional well-being, which is why we’ve created a program that celebrates balance, variety, and joy in eating.
Imagine a world where no food is off-limits, where you can savor every bite without guilt or shame. Our program is designed to help you break free from the cycle of deprivation and restriction, empowering you to make choices that nourish your body and soul.
By embracing a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity, you’ll discover a newfound sense of liberation and empowerment. No longer will you be shackled by the chains of forbidden foods—instead, you’ll embrace a life of delicious, nutritious abundance.
With BeyondFit Food, you’ll gain access to a wealth of resources, including mouthwatering recipes, expert nutrition guidance, and unwavering support from a community of like-minded women.
Together, we’ll embark on a journey towards greater health, happiness, and vitality.
Are you ready to reclaim your relationship with food and unlock the freedom you deserve? Join us at BeyondFit Food and take the first step towards a healthier, happier you. Say goodbye to restriction and hello to a world of endless possibilities. Your journey to food freedom starts here.
Honestly answer the following questions to determine if you need food freedom:
- Do you tell yourself that you can’t or shouldn’t even have a particular food?
- When you experience intense cravings, do they often feel uncontrollable?
- Have you, in the past, or are you currently struggling with overeating/binge eating?
- Do you experience overwhelming guilt after eating any particular food(s)?
If you can relate to any of the struggles mentioned above, I’m here to tell you that there’s a better way!
And it all begins with developing a healthy relationship with food.
You can’t develop a healthy relationship with food if you constantly declare war on your body or on the food that fuels it. I’ve learned the hard way–both through experiencing this myself and hearing from hundreds of clients–forbidding myself from eating specific foods actually initiates a rebound effect that triggers overeating!
Many physiological effects of food deprivation prove too true. Ultimately, women who live with forbidden food rules often end up obsessively thinking about food, overeating said food, feeling guilty and then repeating the cycle.
Over time, as I’ve learned to #dofitnessbetter, I’ve determined I don’t need a list of forbidden foods.
Most of the time, I fuel my body with whole foods that nourish and provide the vitamins and minerals I need. I focus on the 2 P’s (protein+produce). In addition, I watch for changes in my hunger, energy, and cravings and adjust my nutrition intake accordingly.
But regardless of my food choices, I do not see myself as a good or bad person based on what I’ve eaten. I’ve removed the morality from my eating, and getting rid of forbidden foods has ended the “now or never” type of overeating that I was prone to in the past.
Instead of making foods forbidden, I ask myself:
- Do I really like the taste of this food?
- Do I like how this food makes my body feel?
4 Reasons I Have No Forbidden Foods
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- Having no forbidden foods ends feelings of deprivation. When you feel deprived of something, you begin to long for it. In order to control eating, many dieting women focus on rigid food rules that tell them what they can and can’t eat. When no foods get labeled forbidden, you naturally decrease cravings simply by ending feelings of deprivation.
- Having no forbidden foods decreases social stress and increases social enjoyment. Let’s be honest, following a diet and a list of forbidden foods can only last for so long. It may go along fine for a while, but eventually, you must attend an event or a social situation in which you violate your food rules. Social stress increases if you constantly worry about what you allow yourself to eat. Finally, two options usually remain. First, you focus so much on food rules that you forget to enjoy and celebrate the occasion. Or, second, just one bite of a forbidden food sends you in an all-out tailspin. And once you break your restraint, an all-or-nothing binge-fest often follows.
- Having no forbidden foods overrides the “what-the-heck effect.” If you evaluate your success or failures in terms of avoiding your forbidden foods for the day, you become more likely to fall into what many researchers describe as the “what-the-heck effect.” Essentially, this is a restraint-overeating cycle that begins with a violation of your diet. Even just thinking you might “blow” your diet triggers more food consumption, regardless of your true hunger.
- Having no forbidden foods saves mental energy. You have so many more important things to consider than your list of forbidden foods. If you fight food obsession in your mind regularly, getting rid of forbidden foods definitely helps. Research shows that trying to suppress food-related thoughts actually only increases thinking about such foods.
The Forbidden Foods Cycle
Can you relate to the following scenario? You begin a new diet with new food restrictions. At some point, whether due to a social situation, emotional eating, cravings, or all-out hunger, you consume forbidden foods. Consuming these forbidden foods triggers feelings of guilt and lack of control over food.
This guilt and uncontrolled eating make it appear that the solution is to exert more control and add more to a growing list of forbidden foods. (Hint: this is NOT the solution!) So you tighten up the “reins,” and go back to your diet (Or another diet. Or another one.).
Women trapped in this forbidden food cycle often feel like once they start eating a particular food, they won’t be able to stop.
It’s also common to experience reactive eating when you find yourself trapped in this cycle. Once you eat a forbidden food, you feel as though you should “throw in the towel” and eat whatever you’d like to get it out of your system and then “start again tomorrow” back at the beginning of the cycle.
Psychological deprivation of food often triggers a rebound effect. Coincidentally, this ends up causing you to overeat many of the foods that you’ve forbidden.
Unfortunately, the more someone diets, the more likely she is to engage in binge and overeating. And thus, the cycle continues, over and over and over again.
If you experience anxiety every time you eat, especially when “forbidden foods” show up on the menu, you need food freedom.
Challenge: What foods do you currently forbid? How does eating one of your forbidden foods impact your mood or how you feel about yourself? Does it affect your eating for the rest of the day? How can you begin developing a healthier relationship with food?
Are you ready to transform your relationship with food and achieve your wellness goals with confidence and ease?
Welcome to BeyondFit Food, where we’ve crafted a revolutionary online meal plan program tailored specifically for women like you.
Say goodbye to restrictive diets and hello to delicious, nutritious meals designed to fuel your body and nourish your soul.
With BeyondFit Food, you’ll gain access to a treasure trove of mouthwatering recipes, expert nutrition guidance, and invaluable support every step of the way.
Whether you’re looking to shed unwanted pounds, boost your energy levels, or simply cultivate a healthier lifestyle, our program empowers you to take charge of your health journey and thrive.
Join us today and embark on a delicious, fulfilling journey towards a healthier, happier you!