Guilt about eating can hinder diet results – 11/24/2023 – Balance

Guilt regarding food intake can hinder weight loss. Associating bad feelings with food can cause anxiety and compulsive behavior, in addition to encouraging the search for ineffective compensatory measures.

This is the case of cucumber sprinkled with sugar-free gelatin powder suggested by YouTuber Kéfera Buchmann to replace sweets and not deviate from the diet. Without any proof that the “exotic” combination actually generates satiety, the influencer stated in a video on her social networks that it is a “strategy” to deal with binge eating.

In her speech, she also says that the unusual set has “zero calories, is super sweet and fills the belly”.

Mental health and nutrition professionals, however, argue that tactics like this can be dangerous in everyday life.

“Guilt when eating can generate exacerbated concern at meals. Some people may think that they should start reducing the amount of food or skipping meals in an attempt to adapt to inadequate examples exposed in the media”, says doctor Fábio Salzano, deputy coordinator of the Eating Disorders Program at the Institute of Psychiatry (IPq) at Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo.

The psychiatrist reinforces that, often, people follow recommendations made by lay people, without any adequate training in the area of ​​health and nutrition, and end up getting carried away by conceptual errors about what actually works to lose weight.

“Sweets can be part of a dietary plan, but the quantity and frequency must be adapted by the nutritionist for each individual, unless there is a medical condition. When a person who has no training in nutrition or medicine discloses ways to eat , there is a risk of unsuspecting people taking these opinions as the only ones to be carried out in the desire to change eating habits”, says Salzano.

Feeling guilty about eating, therefore, disrupts the general relationship with food, according to nutritionist Daniela Cierro, vice-president of the Brazilian Nutrition Association (Asbran). “It’s not normal to feel guilty when eating, but we often see this relationship in weight loss processes.”

The nutritionist says that the association of food with something negative can be triggered by several factors, from hearing inappropriate talk about the body to linking certain foods to some form of punishment.

“Food is fundamental to life and is directly related to the social, cultural and emotional field. The act of eating individually generates meanings that can produce good family memories, as well as unpleasant sensations, which can lead to feelings such as guilt” , evaluates Cierro.

Cierro says that negative emotions significantly interfere with motivation and the desire to eat, and the act can even be seen as a relief from suffering.

Regarding the recipe and the YouTuber’s speech, Cierro says that self-diagnosis causes many people to spread wrong information about treatments for disorders of this type. “Binge eating, diagnosed by a doctor, needs multidisciplinary treatment.”

The tip is to be aware of the way we interact with what goes on our plate. “The suggestion to eat an ultra-processed food like zero-calorie gelatin is a disservice. It disseminates the distorted concept that a food just needs to have zero calories to be healthy,” says Cierro.

Before choosing the best food, therefore, the person should read the ingredients on the packaging, checking for colorings, food additives and sweeteners, which can harm health more than help, according to Asbran.

Additionally, in the case of cucumber gelatin, the substitute can be a trigger. “The combination of cucumber flavors and gelatin points to restriction and punishment, the opposite of what we need to establish for the individual to give a new meaning to their relationship with food,” he says.

The basis of the diet should focus on fresh and minimally processed foods, as recommended by the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population, available free of charge on the Ministry of Health website.

“Processed and ultra-processed foods, because they are palatable and practical, become the basis of our diet. However, they are rich in sodium, fat and sugar, going against the grain of a healthy diet”, ponders the nutri.

When it comes to dieting, individuals who need to lose weight, maintain weight or change their eating habits must build a healthy eating style based on their own preferences and also focusing on having good hydration and good quality sleep. “Knowledge is liberating. If you don’t like lettuce, that’s okay, there are many other options, such as arugula, chard, cabbage, among others. However, saying that you don’t like salad because you don’t eat lettuce is a point that needs to be explored, moving on to other foods and sauces that accompany this dish”, says Cierro.