“Problem” foods: Does moderation work?

Answer: Yes. Maybe. Not always, for everyone.
In a study at Penn State University, researchers asked 186 women who they classified as “overweight” or “obese” to rank the “foods you can’t resist and find hard to stop eating.” The foods that most frequently topped the participants’ lists:

1. Ice cream
2. Chips
3. Chocolate
4. Cookies
5. Pizza

You probably didn’t need a study to tell you that.
Most people know their problem foods. Mine is chips.
But asking you to officially identify them can help improve awareness and reveal patterns. And that can lead to more effective strategies for managing your intake.
To start, make a list.
But for deeper insights, fill out the Yale Food Addiction Scale Worksheet. It’ll not only help you better understand challenges, it can be enlightening, too.

Tasty foods are likely to be eaten.
No matter how much willpower you have, it’s natural to grab the easiest and most tempting food options, especially when you’re tired, stressed, or ravenous.
So it’s helpful to remember if a food is in your house or possession, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate will eventually eat it.
This doesn’t just pertain to problem foods; it also applies to the foods we should eat frequently. Get those foods prepped and ready-to-eat—so they’re as convenient as packaged snacks. Or put another way:

• Peeled orange slices > unpeeled orange
• Washed berries > unwashed berries
• Sliced bell pepper > whole pepper

You see how it works. None of this requires an entire Sunday afternoon of food prep. But a little effort ahead of time can lead to substantially better choices in the moment.

There are no “bad” foods.
I’d rather not categorize foods as “good” or “bad.” That can teach people to moralize food choices, causing them to literally feel like a bad person for eating the “wrong” foods.

Who needs more guilt and shame in life?
There’s a subtle difference between demonizing a food and merely abstaining from it because you know you tend to overeat it.
I challenge you to think differently. Instead of universal “good” and “bad” foods, build a personalized list of their red, yellow, and green light foods.

Red light foods
These are foods that present such a difficult challenge for you that they just aren’t worth the struggle. Red light foods may not work for you because:

• They don’t help you achieve your goals
• You always overeat them
• You’re allergic to them
• You can’t easily digest them
• You just don’t like them

Yellow light foods
Maybe you can eat a little bit of these and stop, or you can eat them under control at a restaurant with others but not at home alone.

Green light foods
These are nutritious and make your body and mind feel good. You can eat them normally, slowly, and in reasonable amounts. Whole foods usually make up most of this list.
This helps with being able to eat things in moderation and more importantly, not feel guilty.
 
I hope this is helpful for you as your continue your journey towards health and wellness.
 
Enrollment is still open for our next group of Recommit to YOU in 42 that begins on February 1st!

If you have been wanting to recommit to yourself and want to know more of what that looks like, message me, I’d be happy jump on a discovery call with you to see if you are a good fit for this program.
 
Nourish your purpose now,
Rebecca