How many times have you berated yourself for eating a slice of cake “you really shouldn’t have”, wondering why you “can’t control yourself around food” (and if you’re anything like my clients, assuming that everyone else can and only you have these issues – I see you!)? How many times have you felt that uncomfortable guilt after eating, feeling like you’ve done something wrong?
Why Food Guilt Happens
Food guilt results from diet culture, which teaches us that some foods are “bad” (or worse, “poison”) and some foods are “good” and “medicine”. When we allow these rules to determine how we show up when eating, we automatically feel like we’ve done something wrong if we ate “forbidden, bad” food. And depending how rigid your dieting rules are, you might feel like a failure often – that’s just one of the ways diet culture has a negative impact on your mental health.
But the simple truth is: food has no moral value. Eating an apple doesn’t make you “good” and eating chocolate doesn’t make you “bad – they’re just different foods that nourish us in different ways.
However, when you impose strict dieting rules on yourself and restrict certain foods, they become something you crave. Eventually, you’re bound to “give in” and eat them – and because you’ve been told you shouldn’t eat these foods, guilt follows. You promise yourself you’ll follow even stricter diet rules, and this will not happen again… and you end up in a painful cycle: restricting “bad” foods, eating them, feeling overwhelming guilt, restricting “bad” foods…
Fortunately, it’s entirely possible to let go of the food guilt, and here’s how:
1. Understand That All Foods Fit
Often, our minds have a tendency to think in black-or-white, and to blow things out of proportions with catastrophic thinking. While there are surely situations where this could be helpful, taking care or our health and choosing foods aren’t.
With intuitive eating, we choose a more helpful way of thinking about food, engaging with the “gray area”.
The reality is – your health will not be determined by one meal, or one day of eating – so the food guilt is simply unnecessary. What truly matters in the terms of your overall diet is how you eat consistently over weeks, monts and even years.
Balanced diet that majority of intuitive eaters enjoy includes wide variety of foods – fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and their favorite comfort foods, cultural favorites, desserts and little treats!
All foods fit into a happy, healthy life.
Each of these options plays an important role in your physical, mental, and emotional health. If you were to eat a nutritionally “perfect” diet while suffering severe mental health consequences, you wouldn’t be truly healthy.
Therefore, food guilt isn’t contributing to your overall well-being, and it’s time for you to consider what would a life free of such nuisance feel like 🙂
2. Investigate, Don’t Judge
In the process of cultivating a healthier, happier relationship with food, you’re likely going to experience instances of food guilt – that’s a completely normal part of healing.
Each of these instances is your opportunity to learn something about yourself and the way you view food, and mindfully consider if that approach is serving you.
Therefore, when the food guilt shows up, approach it with curiosity instead of judgement.
Ask yourself:
- What made me feel guilty?
- Was I following a dieting rule or external expectations on what I should eat?
- Is this rule serving me, or is it possible that it’s causing me harm?
- What was I really needing; food, or maybe comfort, rest, pleasure, or connection?
Remember that food guilt doesn’t mean you did something wrong! It’s just information. Investigate it with compassion und curiosity, not judgment.
Important side note: you will not gain weight from one meal or one day of eating. That’s just an example of your mind blowing things out of proportion. Our bodies are incredibly adaptable and respond to patterns over time, not single moments. It’s also normal to eat more on some days than we do on others!
I feel this is important to note, and maybe even write it down, as this is something I often discuss with my clients – many of them believe that a slice of pizza will instantly impact their weight, which is of course, absolutely impossible. Once we dissect this belief together, they immediately feel calmer around food.
3. The Most Important Truth
No food will ever harm your health as much as chronic guilt, restriction, and disordered eating patterns can. Stressing over food constantly does far more damage to your body and mind than enjoying a piece of cake ever could.
Please don’t underestimate the negative impact constant preoccupation with food can have on your mental health – not only in terms of overwhelming anxiety, stress and obsession, but also in terms of huge mental load many chronic dieters experience!
Constant food noise, thinking about what you’re “allowed” to eat, and what not, thinking about your future meals hours in advance (of course, not for the purpose of planning them), counting and weighing everything steals so much mental energy from your life!
Energy you could use to pursue the education you’ve dreamt of, or career, or trying out new hobbies, or being fully present with your loved ones, or just resting. All of these precious moments in life are way more important that how many grams of oats you had in your breakfast.
And I say this as a nutritionist – I passionately teach the value of nutritious meals!
And last but not least, remember: all foods offer some kind of nourishment, be it physical, emotional, or social. Not every meal needs to be “perfectly” nutrient dense, or made with expensive organic ingredients to be valuable.
Food isn’t just about calories or nutrients; it’s also about connection, tradition, joy, comfort, and culture. Delicious meals bring people together at birthdays, holidays, and family dinners. When you allow yourself to experience food fully, without guilt or shame, you open the door to a truly nourishing relationship with it.
Ready to Let Go of Food Guilt Forever?
If you often find yourself feeling guilty after eating, or stuck in cycles of restriction and overeating, you don’t have to struggle with it alone. Working with me is rooted in intuitive eating and self-compassion, helping you reconnect with your body’s wisdom and find peace with food so that you can achieve true, long-term health!
Book a free discovery call with me and let us explore how you can create a relationship with food that feels calm, joyful, and nourishing.
Together, we’ll:
- Unpack and heal the root causes of your food struggles.
- Gently release the harmful diet rules and beliefs.
- Rebuild your relationship with your body and food.
- Learn health and nutrition tools that actually work for you, not against you.
Clients often tell me they go from obsessing over food and feeling like they “can’t be trusted” to finally enjoying meals again; in peace, in balance, and without guilt. And that’s all I want for you, being able to live a full, happy, healthy life!
Book a free discovery call today, and let’s see how intuitive eating coaching can help you feel more at home in your body; no more diets, guilt, or stress.
I offer different packages so working with me can fit your lifestyle and your budget. Check them out here.
Book Your Free Discovery Call Today
What It Looks Like to Work with Me
Each client’s journey is unique, but here’s a bit of a framework on how we’ll work together:
- Free Discovery Call – No-pressure chat to see if we’re a good fit. No strings attached!
- 1:1 Coaching Sessions – In-depth, 60-90 minute sessions focused on intuitive eating, mindset shifts, and practical strategies, individualized for your specific needs.
- Unlimited Messaging Support – Have questions, concerns or breakthroughs between sessions? I’ve got you covered.
- Workbooks and Practical Exercises – Tools to help you integrate intuitive eating into your daily life; whether we’re talking intuitive eating journals, gentle nutrition guides or coping with your emotions tools!
- Ongoing Guidance and Accountability – Support that flows with your needs, every step of the way. I’m here to listen—while I will offer insights and advice, I recognize that you’re the expert of your body and your experience. Therefore, everything we work through will be centered around your needs.
Or in the words of my client, “Nina helped me change my relationship with food in a way I never thought it could be possible. She gave me life long tools to empower myself and my health.“
Book Your Free Discovery Call Today
Take the first step toward food freedom: my coaching packages start at just 97€!
Nina Kaufmann 
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