3 Reasons Why Reframing Your Language Around Food Helps to Reach Your Goals
Something I coach my clients on regularly is noticing the language in which they think and talk about food.
For example, they go out to dinner and the next day they tell me; “I should have just ordered the grilled chicken and salad!”⠀
Instead, I encourage them to frame that statement differently. More like; “I’m noticing that I’m having the thought that I should have ordered the grilled chicken with salad.”⠀
Two reasons why this reframe when talking about food is SUPER helpful: ⠀
1. It takes the guilt out of the equation for the person
I remind them that they aren’t less healthy for not ordering the grilled chicken and it’s ok to not always order the most “nutrient dense” or “balanced” foods on the menu. It does not make you any less “healthy.”
2. It separates them from their thoughts
Thoughts are not always true but we know they are very powerful. Our thoughts have the power to COMPLETELY alter our mood, energy and focus. When we’re able to acknowledge that our thoughts are separate from us, we can separate ourselves from the thought with more ease and grace. ⠀
Guilt is a HUGE emotion that diet culture plays off of. Diet culture has conditioned us to believe it’s normal to feel guilty around food.
PSST- it’s not!! You don’t need to be bogged down by guilt when it comes to eating!!
3. It helps to diminish the “perfectionist” attitude
It’s common for people to have the all or nothing attitude around nutrition. The thing is, this mentality does not work. The reality is you aren’t going to be perfect every single day- no one is. You aren’t always going to hit your protein targets, you aren’t always going to cook your meals at home, you aren’t always going to skip the bread basket. And that’s OK. Having flexibility in your diet instead of rigidity will allow you to go with the flow more so when these slip ups do happen, you can effortlessly get right back on the wagon.