“I was listening to a conference talk the other day that mentioned the idea that part of ‘putting off the natural man’ includes not overindulging in our appetites. I can’t remember the exact quote, but I remember thinking ‘this applies to food’ and I am just having the HARDEST time striking a balance between full permission and overindulgence. I know that the end goal of Intuitive Eating looks like ‘temperance in all things’ which is ultimately where I want to live my life in all areas, but for right now, when that struggle is so hard for me, how can I help but apply a sense of morality to my overindulgence when the church teaches pretty directly that gluttony is sinful? I still have STRONG feelings of guilt over my eating because I know I’m not eating sweets intuitively and I’m feeling like it will never happen for me because I. Love. Sweets. So all of that mixed with my desire to be in my thinner body which was always achieved by restricting sweets, how can I reshape my thinking in order to encourage myself to continue trying to be more intuitive about my sugar intake? Because right now, I’m on the edge of getting back off sugar, but as soon as I think that, I run for my Oreo bag.”
First off, restriction leads to over-indulgence. Secondly, over indulging in and of itself isn’t inherently wrong or bad and it certainly doesn’t make you a sinner. It means you’re human, and it’s a part of normal eating. Both of which are nothing to be ashamed of.
There’s nothing wrong with indulgence. Moderation, for some, can still be restriction which does lead to rebellion. You are allowed to find pleasure in food, or anything else! I think this is one of those fine lines where the adversary can sneak in through diet culture under the guise of piety. If you want the cookie, eat it and move on. Fear, guilt, and shame aren’t from God and if there’s a certain limit to an amount/type of food that’s considered “just right” then that’s an opportunity to check in.
Food morality of any kind is worth paying attention to. How can we neutralize food if we still consider certain choices as wrong or less than?
Maybe you don’t feel well, physically or spiritually, when you eat a certain way. It still doesn’t mean that food is inherently bad or that you are bad for eating it. You get to choose what to eat and how you want to feel. That would be honoring YOUR health with gentle nutrition.
Personally, I don’t feel super great when I eat a lot of sugar. But I do know that it’s very different for other people and that’s ok too. Your body, your choice. Their body, their choice. But it’s not sugar that’s the problem… it’s just food. You wouldn’t feel good over indulging in broccoli either! When you eat three bowls of ice cream and you feel sick you blame the ice cream. I can guarantee eating three bowls of broccoli would make you sick too but no one would ever blame the broccoli. No one would ever say “I ate too much lettuce today.” And that’s because of food morality. Because we’ve made sweets mean something. And this type of food comparison, especially if we consider broccoli to be better than ice cream, is a form of self-righteousness.
Not only do we feel bad about ourselves but there’s a part of us that feels better than others. And that’s what I’m trying to point out. NOT THAT YOU’RE SELF-RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE YOU DONT ENJOY EATING LOTS OF SUGAR! Please know that I completely support your ability to nourish yourself, whether that means you decide to eat sugar or not. Just be aware of food rules turning into food fears, even when they’re well intentioned, because doubt can cause disconnection from not only our physical body but also our spiritual one. And when we restrict, we disconnect from our Self, others, and even God.
If you find yourself over-indulging, drop the judgment and get curious. What are you restricting? This could look like restriction with both the quality and quantity of certain foods but it can also be reflective of other forms of restriction not related to food… Check in and see if you’ve been limiting yourself in other areas of your life. What is it that you’re really craving? Do your food choices or eating habits represent something else that is missing? Is there anything you need to address physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually? How can you experience more of what you want? When is the last time you connected with your body or spirit?
There is no right or wrong way to eat intuitively. Food choices and habits will, and should, look differently from one eater to another. Be careful of turning intuitive eating into another diet with restrictive food rules. Every time you question your ability to eat intuitively is questioning your ability to trust in your body and in the One who created it. Let go of the outcome that intuitive eating looks a certain way. Give yourself permission to eat freely without making it mean something. Honor your inner wisdom. Remember your worth. Because you are trustworthy and capable of nourishing yourself.
