We’ve all learned the tell-tale red flags and green flags to watch out for in our romantic and platonic relationships. What they don’t talk about are the flags in relationships that are equally as important – our relationships with food.
Red Flags In Your Relationship with Food
Let’s look at some traits of a toxic food relationship:
- Guilt about eating
- Restricting or binging certain foods
- Reliance on calorie trackers to mark the end of your eating for the day
- Ignoring your body’s natural hunger cues
- A history of following diet fads or yo-yo dieting
- Feeling overwhelming stress of eating in public for fear of what others might think
- Eating to cope with emotions
Not every one of these signs needs to be checked off to indicate a bad relationship with food, nor do you need to be constantly feeling those signs. Sometimes, you may feel intense pressure surrounding eating, and other times you may have no guilt whatsoever. Think about it: in a relationship with your partner, things aren’t always perfect! But you sure do want to make sure that your positive experiences far outweigh your negative ones.
Green Flags in Your Relationship with Food
Now onto the signs of a good and healthy relationship with food:
- Listening to your body’s natural hunger cues
- Not labeling any foods as off-limits
- Eating in moderation
- Not obsessing over calories or body weight
- Not letting the thought of others’ opinions affect your food habits
- Eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full
- Not feeling defined by what you eat
Remember when you first met your significant other? You were still figuring out how to navigate things, practice patience, and invest lots of time into turning that relationship into a well-oiled machine.
Your relationship with food is no different. With persistent practice and patience, you too can build a healthy relationship with your eating habits. If this list of green flags feels overwhelming, pick one and start with that first. Then slowly build your way down until one day, you look at your life, and see yourself surrounded with good foods and a healthy mindset.
There’s Nothing Wrong With a Little Relationship Therapy
Food plays a very complex role in our lives and our society. Sometimes it can be difficult to manage on our own, and that’s totally okay. Reach out to your doctors, your therapists, or your dietitians to connect you with the resources you need to navigate your relationship with food. At Coping Resource Center, we’re here to help you navigate difficult relationships, even those with food. Visit our therapy services page to learn more. Sometimes behaviors like binge eating, restricting foods, or feeling stress when eating in public can be symptoms of an eating disorder. Click here to learn more about eating disorder therapy at Coping Resource Center in Houston, Texas.
Ready to get started? Book now on our site or call us at 832-278-1849.
