challenge the food police

Intuitive Eating Principle #4: Challenge the food police.

Some, many or most of us may have this nasty lil internal voice/dialogue around food, eating, body image, self-esteem and exercise.

We can label these thoughts that your mind tells you as the ‘food police’ or ‘mean girl’.

These ‘mean girl’ thoughts are shaped from society, childhood, family, role models, media etc. Through the normalisation of restriction, diets, fatphobia etc…

This ‘mean girl’ becomes problematic when these thoughts are influencing your behaviours that can cause restriction, guilt, shame, rigid rules and unhealthy relationships with food and exercise.

How to challenge the food police:

-Notice your ‘mean girl’ (without judgement) “Remember to approach your thoughts with curious awareness rather than with critical judgment. Be patient and gentle with yourself.“

-Explore your beliefs, thoughts and food rules. Again, without judgement. We will all have our own unique experience with how our beliefs and thoughts have been shaped through our own culture, family and society.

-’What you resist persists’. As much as your try and force the ‘mean girl’ and these thoughts away, it can often reinforce the struggle. It’s like holding a beach ball under water, you can force it down for only so long until it pops up to hit you in the face. Treat these thoughts like listening to the radio, if you hear a song you don’t like-you tune out, if you hear a song you like-you tune in.

-Create some distance from these ‘mean girl’ thoughts. Instead of “I can’t eat takeaways”, try “I notice I’m having a thought that I can’t eat takeaways”.

-You can have these ‘mean girl’ thoughts without responding or acting on them. Break the pattern of ‘mean girl’ thought determining your action. Eg, “I ate a cupcake, I need to go for a run” (goes for a run because of guilt/shame and to burn off the cupcake). Notice the ‘mean girl’ thoughts. Show self-compassion and treat yourself with respect. “I ate a cupcake, it was tasty and I can enjoy this as part of a balanced eating pattern, I don’t need to punish myself for what I ate”.

-Embrace self-compassion. Treat yourself like you would your inner child (younger self) or best friend when challenging the food police. Eg, if your best friend said they needed to go on a diet, how would you respond in a compassionate way? Apply this response to yourself.

M x