Having a positive and healthy relationship with food is key to long-term change for consuming a nutritious and well balanced diet.
Many people overlook this and believe they can make choices in the short-term to have results in the long term.
For example, have you or someone you know undertaken a “shake diet” to lose weight, and after a month or even a few months they see great weight loss? They then go back to some of their old eating habits and expect the weight loss to remain, only for the weight to start creeping back on, and more of their old bad eating habits start to creep back in, as they lose motivation, resulting in being of more weight than what they were before they started the “shake diet”?
If this is you, you’re not alone, many people try these types of diets, sometimes known as “fad diets” in the hopes that they will reach their health and fitness goals. However, the key to reaching these goals is to change how you think and feel about food and nutrition. This change will allow you to have long-term success because you’re changing your lifestyle and food choices for good.
How to build a better relationship:
1. Find foods that you enjoy in all the important food groups, like the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vegetables, fruits. It’s so important that we love what we eat, so find the foods you enjoy and consume those. Start investing time in finding these foods by researching recipes on Google or looking on Pinterest for foods that excite you! This will greatly improve food enjoyment which is key to staying on track.
2. Make small changes to your current diet and lifestyle, and avoid making huge changes as this can be overwhelming and hinder your success.
3. Be more aware of how you feel when consuming certain food choices. For example, take note of how you feel after eating a heavy fast food choice vs how you feel after eating a home made meal. You may think that the fast food choice is what you want but how do you feel after eating this type of meal… bloated? Lethargic? Unsatisfied?
4. Let the people around you or close friends know what you’re trying to achieve so they can support you and keep you accountable when you need it.
5. Celebrate the wins, but don’t reward yourself with food.
Candace Sciberras
Candace Sciberras is a Dietitian at OnePoint Health in Penrith. Candace graduated from the University of Wyoming, America with a degree in Human Nutrition and Food. She later went on to do her dietetic internship in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a member of the Dietetic Association Australia and holds her APD along with a Level 1 Anthropemetrist accreditation with ISAK.