At first, it might seem like an easy answer. We want to have control in our lives, of course. Some of us simply THRIVE on controlling all aspects of our lives. We feel like things are running smoothly and everything is in place like a well-oiled machine.
Until they’re not!
I am going to shift from talking about control from a diet perspective to a interoceptive perspective. Part of the appeal of dieting is that we can control something when other things feel out of control. We track food, have a “good” and “bad” foods list, put time limitations on ourselves all in the name of control of that intake.
And that’s all in a diet sense and gives us a false sense of control of our reality with food. Is it possible that you might be a liiiiitle scared of being totally in control of your food decisions and that’s why you keep turning to dieting?
Here is the scenario:
You’ve come from a history of diet cycling and you may only know how to eat (or feel comfortable eating) according to a plan. And when you aren’t a plan you “fall off” and end up not being able to trust yourself around food at all or you have high levels of food stress, guilt and anxiety.
So the idea of being without a plan or program to follow only leaves you reliant on yourself. But you don’t trust yourself! So it’s scary.
You are scared of being in control of your own food decisions with no one else to report to and no one plan or person holding you accountable. It’s just you and you. And that’s uncomfortable.
So, how do you regain control of your food decisions and feel confident doing so?
One of my goals in working with you is to get you 100% self-sufficient and self-trusting when it comes to food. Like I said, this can be really tough if you’ve had a lengthy diet history. But we can do it! We can get you back to normal, into a fully formed version of yourself completely cool and confident around food.
We work on challenging the food rules you’ve been following absentmindedly for years, we work on exposure therapy to foods you fear are bad or unhealthy, we work on improving your body image, we set goals you can achieve to build your confidence and self trust, and we get you thinking about food in a completely different way.
And it will feel really good to not have to answer to anyone or seek validation for your food decisions, too 😚