4 Tips for Nourishing Your Body Without Feeling Like You’re on a Diet

So much of the information we see and hear about nutrition and “healthy eating” revolves around the nutrient content of the foods we eat. While I don’t want to suggest that that doesn’t matter at all, nourishing our bodies well is about SO MUCH MORE than that. It honors our whole being, not just our physical self. And, limiting our understanding of “good nutrition” to vitamins and minerals, types of fats and quantities of added sugar, can actually interfere with our ability to take good care of ourselves.

For the last several years my practice has revolved around supporting people who have dedicated their lives to pursuing “healthy eating” only to find themselves more defeated, confused, and disconnected from their bodies than ever. What I’ve learned in this time is that the key to nourishing our bodies isn’t found in more food rules. The following tips are designed to help you find a little more peace and flexibility around food and are an invitation to think a little bit differently about what it means to eat well.  

1. Ditch the food rules and eat what you like.

   I don’t care how much of a “superfood” kale is, if you hate it you don’t have to eat it. There are so many ways to meet your body’s nutrient needs that forcing yourself to eat foods you dislike in the name of health is both unhelpful and unnecessary.

   Pleasure not only allows us to find more enjoyment in the eating process it also makes eating in a way that supports health more sustainable. If the nutrient content of the food items you choose is the primary, or perhaps only, determining factor for what goes onto your plate, chances are good you aren’t going to stick with that way of eating for very long. That’s because, as pleasure seeking creatures, we don’t tend to stick with things we don’t like.

   Then, when we do give up on this “healthy eating” kick, we find ourselves feelings really defeated. We internalize “falling off the wagon” as a personal failure. Beyond that, it’s not uncommon for us to find ourselves engaging in rebound eating – eating large quantities of all the forbidden foods once we’ve abandoned the food rules – which often contributes to feelings of guilt and shame, compromising our mental health in additional to our physical health. But, the problem here isn’t you, it’s the wagon you’re trying to ride.

   I also don’t mean to suggest, don’t eat vegetables (or any other “healthy” food). By all means, eat your vegetables and eat all of the other “whole” foods you enjoy, too. Fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains all contain important nutrients for the body. But, don’t force yourself to choke down the ones you dislike in the name of health. There are seriously so many foods to choose from and all foods, in all forms, have value.

2. And I really mean, all the foods you like.

   When I say “eat foods you like” I don’t just mean the fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains you like. I really do mean all the foods you like, including foods like ice cream, cheeseburgers, and potato chips. Because there’s so much more to “eating for health” than just vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. 

   Health is much more than just physical health. Mental, emotional, social, spiritual wellbeing are all just as important as physical health. And food also impacts all of these areas of health, too. 

   Think about it. Have you ever been out to dinner with friends and what you really wanted to eat was the cheeseburger with fries, but because you were trying to “be healthy” you ordered the salad with grilled chicken? What happened? Did you love every bite of the salad and leave feeling totally satisfied? Were your able to fully engage in the social experience with your friends, who maybe were eating the burger you really wanted? Chances are good the answer to those last two questions are probably not. What’s more likely is that you ate the salad, did not feel satisfied, went home and continued to search for something that would satisfy, even if you were already physically full from the salad. And, while you were at the restaurant you were so preoccupied by the desire for the burger that you didn’t get and, perhaps a bit jealous of the burgers that your friends did get, that you weren’t able to be fully present in the social experience. Your mental, emotional, and social wellbeing all being compromised in the process. 

   I know that there might be a lot of fear associated with giving permission to eat those “forbidden foods.” In this weight-obsessed, food-shaming society it makes total sense. But I encourage you to think how denying yourself the pleasure of eating is really serving you? Is it supporting your whole health and wellbeing? Or is it holding you back from living the full life you truly desire?

   I can assure you that you aren’t going to eat only cheeseburgers and French fries forever if you do allow these foods greater representation in your diet. You might want them more frequently for a time, but again, we want to feel good. Eating only cheeseburgers and French fries probably won’t feel very good in the long-term, just like eating only salmon and kale doesn’t satisfy either.

3. Get curious and experiment!

   Explore new foods, new ways of preparing foods, new restaurants, and new cuisines. Approaching food with curiosity and wonder rather than fear and rigidity can really transform how we feel about and relate to food. Allowing ourselves to approach food as something to explore rather than something to control can mitigate the judgment and guilt that we associate with food and open us up to new foods, even “healthy” ones, we never knew we could or would enjoy.

   So, rather than keeping yourself stuck in the same perhaps safe but boring food routine, challenge yourself to try something new. Buy a new fruit or vegetable at the farmers market (and ask the farmer how to prepare it, because they always have the best advice). Try a restaurant you’ve never been to, and perhaps one serving a cuisine you’ve never had. Choose one new recipe a week to prepare and maybe aim to select recipes that never would have been allowed in your dieting days. Subscribe to a meal kit delivery service and choose the adventurous plan rather than the safe one. Take a cooking or a baking class and learn to make something you’ve never tried before, like bread or pasta. 

   Whatever you do, give yourself permission to get excited about food. Getting excited and curious about food nourishes the body and soul.

4. Let your body be your guide.

   I know it may not feel this way, but you don’t need food rules to follow. You can trust your body to guide you when figuring out what, when, and how much to eat. Instead of precise portion sizes and eating according to the clock, imagine re-learning how to notice, trust, and respond hunger and fullness cues instead.

   This is actually the most accurate way to eat in accordance with our body’s individual, and ever-changing energy needs. All those algorithms and equations we’ve been programmed to rely on are woefully inaccurate for the average human being because needs change on a daily basis. Your body is going to be the most accurate indicator of your needs, all you need to do is listen to it.

   Now, if you are thinking, “but I don’t know what hunger and fullness feel like in my body,” or “I don’t trust myself to stop once I’m satisfied,” or “I only notice hunger when I am extremely hungry,” know that those are all common side effects of engaging in controlled eating. Especially if you’ve been engaging in controlled eating (aka dieting) for a long time. But, they are not permanent. With the support and guidance of a non-diet dietitian, you can learn how to restore your connection with these cues and trust in yourself to respond to them again.

   I’ll also note here that, if you are recovering from an eating disorder and have a meal plan to follow as part of your recovery plan, I’m not suggesting that’s not useful or valid. Structure can be very helpful for restoring connection to natural cues. In this scenario, the meal plan isn’t so much a tool to control you because you can’t trust your body (which is the message that diet plans reinforce), it’s more of a tool to support you so that you can rebuild trust in your body. The purpose and function are very different from meal plans that are used for “weight management.”

I know that it can be difficult to even consider shifting the way you define and or think about “healthy” eating in a world where you are constantly exposed to messages about “clean eating” and evils of processed or packaged food. That’s OK. But, I’d also encourage you to think how these messages and subscribing to such beliefs has served you in the past. Has it helped you find more peace with food? More satisfaction in your life? Or has it continued to be a source anguish, turmoil, and pain. If it’s the latter, perhaps it’s worth exploring a different perspective.

I see clients who experience eating disorders, disordered eating, and chronic dieting in-person in my Burlington, VT based practice and virtually through a HIPAA-compliant telehealth system in select states. If you are interested in exploring an alternative, more peaceful and flexible approach to health supportive eating, inspired by principles of mindful and intuitive eating, I’d love to support you. Schedule your free 20-minute Discovery Call HERE.