Making Peace With Forbidden Food

JUST FOR TODAY:  Give yourself permission to have a portion of a "forbidden food."  You can make peace with food!

If you have been struggling with an eating disorder or weight problem, then you probably have a list of "safe foods" and "forbidden foods."  You probably tend to not overeat your "safe foods," while your "forbidden foods" have triggered binge eating episodes for you in the past.  But denying yourself from the foods that you love will only set you up to binge on those foods at some point.  Also, you may end up binge eating your "safe foods" because you feel deprived.  Consider the possibility that you don't have to forbid yourself from eating any foods.  You can enjoy reasonable portions of all the foods you love.  If you are afraid that you would overindulge, then try purchasing only a small quantity of that food item.  Give yourself permission to have it every day, in that small quantity.  If you finish the portion and still want more, remind yourself that there is more to enjoy the next day.  Take the power away from food and give it back to yourself.  Make today the day that there is no such thing as forbidden food!

©2010 by "Dr. Dorie" McCubbrey, M.S.Ed., Ph.D. – Eating Disorder & Obesity Treatment Specialist – Denver, Colorado