In my private practice, I have several clients who live in the world of dietary restraint. “Can’t,” “shouldn’t” and “never” are some of the words that pepper their eating vocabulary. When I ask why they don’t eat certain foods, it’s not because of food allergies or intolerances but more an extreme fear of what the food will do to their body — such as storing as fat and causing bloating or weight gain. The problem with this food-attack or food phobia is that it extends from the plate to life. Food fear can result in isolation, anxiety and mood changes.
There are times when restraint may be warranted, but when it comes to food attitude and choices, a more positive approach may benefit both body and mind and result in a better outcome. So let’s change the dialog from restrained to retrained eating with an “it” list.
1) Space it. Those who eat meals at regular intervals may find that they’re less hungry between meals — and therefore less likely to have an inner talk about restraint when it comes to food quantity.
2) Size it. There are several ways to portion foods: label reading, measuring and weighing foods, or eyeballing. Each of these may imply some degree of restraint to stay within the portion, or lead to complaining when the portion appears much too small to be satisfying. Instead, how about the visual cues of a hand-size amount of protein: one to two fists of carb, such as grains, potatoes, corn and bread; two fists of fruits/vegetables; and one to two thumbs of fat, including nuts, nut butters, avocado, oil and salad dressings. The advantage is that we can subtly use our hand as a gauge, pick what we want to fill each part of the plate and have an amount of food that is visually satiating.
3) Savor it. When one is in restraint mode, eating is not a pleasant experience; we may downsize portions, minimize variety and hurry through a meal because it is not enjoyable or relaxing. Retrained eaters may employ the following techniques: Eat one item at a time, as we would in restaurants — for example, have a salad first and then have the entrée, rather than everything on the table at the same time. Change the size of the plate so that it’s slightly smaller, but full. Cut chicken or meat in half horizontally so it looks like more on the plate. And flatten the rice or pasta so the volume seems greater.
4) Flavor it. I encourage my clients to look at fish, chicken, meat, vegetables, rice and pasta as a blank canvas and for them to be the artists to decide how they want to add color and taste to what is on the plate. The idea of a flavor station wakes up the mouth without adding to the calorie cost of the meal. Flavored vinegars, herbs, spices, sea salt and hot sauce can all be used to ramp up the mouth appeal at meals.
5) Swap it. Restrained eaters tend to follow food rules and are not willing or are afraid to change up their eating plan. I love the idea of swapping — for instance, one might prefer to have wine with dinner instead of rice, or opt for a scoop of ice cream instead of a potato. This is a way to fit in those foods we deem indulgent without sabotaging our goals.
So give yourself a retraining order instead of a restraining order, and put the joy back into what you eat — while minimizing diet defeat.
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How to Transition from Restrained to Retrained Eating originally appeared on usnews.com
