How to Stop Letting Food Control You
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Have you ever felt that food sometimes seems to make choices for you rather than the other way around? Do you find it challenging to regain control over your food choices?
We understand that the battle with food choices can sometimes feel overwhelming, and it may seem like food has a mind of its own. Know that you're not alone; many of us have faced similar struggles. Today, we're here to stand by your side and provide insights that can help you reclaim that control. In this episode, we bring you five simple tweaks that can make a world of difference in how food affects you.
What I discuss:
Eat all three macronutrients.
Give yourself a proper breakfast.
Don’t try to be perfect.
Give yourself rest.
Address your emotions.
If you want more from me, be sure to check out...
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter. A podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I issue a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get it, let's go. [00:00:21][21.1]
[00:00:27] Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast. It's October, baby. I am so excited. We are heading into the last three months of the year. My question for you is, are you going to finish out this year strong? Are you wanting to develop a stronger relationship with food or movement or mindset? Which of those three areas are you going to put a put a big emphasis on? I know a lot of people struggle with food. And so that's why in today's episode I wanted to share how to stop letting food control you, because this is something that so many of us have struggled with or are currently struggling with. And if you are currently in that moment of struggling with food, you feel like food is controlling you. I want you to know you are not alone. [00:01:12][45.4]
[00:01:13] I personally struggled with this for a decade plus of my life, and there are a few simple tweaks that can make a huge impact on how food affects you. And so that's why in today's episode, I want to chat about it. I want to have some real talk. I want to help you freaking regain control of your relationship with food so that as you are working towards your fitness journey, you feel like this aspect of this puzzle piece feels more manageable and you don't feel so overwhelmed by it. [00:01:44][31.2]
[00:01:44] Before we dive in, though, I wanted to share this review. It comes from Blake Underscore O.D. She gave a five star review and said, I have waited years for this. Julie, first and foremost, thank you. This podcast spoke to my soul. No other way to put it. Anyone struggling with body image AIDS or just needing some daily positivity. This is for you. I'm so grateful for you. I first and foremost just want to say thank you so much for tuning in. Thank you for leaving a reading and review. They genuinely mean the world to me and our team. Just kind of know how this podcast is helping you. Also, I do want to note I am not a doctor, so all of this advice that I'm giving you, please have the self-awareness. If you need to go to a doctor or if you are currently in a some sort of program or you are in a relationship with a doctor that's giving you advice. Do not think that this overrides this. [00:02:31][46.5]
[00:02:31] I want you to take everything I am saying with a grain of salt and then have the self-awareness enough to be like, okay, I'm going to take this, I'm going to leave this, but hopefully this gives you some good food for thought. At the very minimum, on this topic of how to stop letting food control you. So let's dive right in. [00:02:46][15.1]
[00:02:47] Number one, eat all three Macronutrients. So by eating all three macronutrients, carbs, fats and protein is the absolute first place to start when developing a healthy relationship with food. In my opinion, like each macronutrient serves a unique purpose in your body. And I've done a podcast episode on this, like breaking down each one and why it's important. So go back. I will link them in the show notes that you can dive into each one like why protein's important, why carbs are important, why that's important. [00:03:13][25.8]
[00:03:13] So if you've ever wanted to know kind of the different roles, we do get nitty gritty in those podcast topic episodes. So I will again link those in the show notes, but the very bare minimum and just kind of going to give you a bird's eye perspective. So sometimes your body isn't more hungry for calories, it's more so hungry for nutrients. So when you're missing out on any of these nutrients, your body might not feel adequately nourished. Right. Leading to increased hunger and cravings. So eating carbs without fats and protein can cause major blood sugar swings that trigger hunger cravings When you leave out fats and protein, this can lead to rapid drops in energy and mood, triggering strong cravings for high calorie or sugary foods to boost that energy quickly. [00:03:56][42.3]
[00:03:56] And this is why, if you're eating like a plain bowl of oatmeal by itself, you might feel hungry an hour later. But if you were to eat that oatmeal with some almond butter, some berries, some Greek yogurt, you'll likely feel more full for hours. But also protein and healthy fats contribute significantly to feelings of fullness and satisfaction after a meal. So when your meals lack these components, you might not feel satiated or satisfied, causing you to seek out more food soon after your eating, which you're like, That doesn't make any sense. And it's likely just because, again, you're not having that balanced approach when it comes to your meals, which will lead to overindulging later. [00:04:35][39.1]
[00:04:36] So to sum this up, not including all three macronutrients in your diet can really disrupt your body's natural hunger and fullness cues, making it just more challenging to maintain control over your appetite. If you feel like you don't have a healthy relationship with food, or that you can't seem to gain control over your hungry, this could be the best place to start. Like this balance is essential for fostering a healthy relationship with food and maintaining better control over your eating habits in general. [00:05:03][26.9]
[00:05:03] One of the simplest ways is to really just kind of build your plate. So figuring out my protein on my plate, what is that going to be? My carb source, You know, veggies, vegetables, fruits, and then my fats, what are those? And just kind of dividing it into those three. So carbs, fats and protein, that's a great place to start. Once you kind of get that down, you're going to want to kind of. I'll add, and a little bit more and say, okay, how much of this does my body need based on where I'm at and what my goals are? And that's where you're really going to be able to dial it in and see, okay, you know, I'm not just going off of Susie's macros that she posted on her Instagram. I'm actually figuring them out for myself. [00:05:44][40.9]
[00:05:45] I do have a program for this. I'll link it in the show notes below, but this will help you just get started in terms of learning how to properly feel your body and learning what your specific macro count is based on where you're at and what your goals are. [00:05:59][14.3]
[00:06:00] Number two, give yourself a proper breakfast. So a well-balanced breakfast that includes carbs, protein and fats that can help stabilize your blood sugar levels. So why do we want to do this while this is going to prevent you from experiencing that extreme fluctuation in your energy levels and your mood, which in turn reduces the likelihood of that emotional or impulsive eating later in the day. [00:06:19][19.1]
[00:06:19] So think about this. When you skip breakfast, you're going to kind of likely put yourself into a spiral. The rest of the day. You might not know it's a spiral, but that's why you're feeling super hungry at 9 p.m.. And that's likely tracing back to because you are not properly feeling your body, starting with breakfast. If you eat a proper breakfast, you're likely not even going to think about food for hours. You can live your life without the thought of food consuming you. Plus, skipping breakfast again will lead you. [00:06:45][25.8]
[00:06:45] What I mentioned earlier will lead you to overeating later in the day as that hunger builds up. So you reach a point where you just can't take it anymore and you just eat any and everything, not paying attention to what your body actually needs. And this is why just being diligent with starting with breakfast, that can help set you up for success in terms of better control over your appetite and prevent overindulgence. I will also clarify that eating a balanced breakfast is key for any of this to work, like eating a breakfast with carbs, fats and protein. This is going to ensure that you're balancing your blood sugar and ensuring that you're feeling full and satisfied hours after you eat it. [00:07:20][35.3]
[00:07:21] Number three, this one is super important, so listen up. Do not be perfect. This is probably the most important thing you can do while developing a healthy relationship with food. You have to realize that it is not realistic to eat perfectly every single day. In fact, you won't. You won't hit your macros every single day, and that's okay. [00:07:38][17.2]
[00:07:39] You need to let go of this mindset where, oh my gosh, I have to be, you know, within 1 to 5 grams of protein, carbs and fats and that's it. And if I'm not there, then I'm complete. I'm a complete failure. This is not going to work and just get so discouraged and you give up. You can eat the cookies, the pizza, the pancakes, the pasta, the chocolate, the ice cream, the chips, you name it. You can eat all of those things and still see results from the work that you're putting in in your workouts. It's about what you do most of the time, not what you do all the time. [00:08:08][29.5]
[00:08:09] Heck, I literally eat ice cream every single night. I literally ice cream every single night. Ask my husband as anybody that knows me well. They know that if there's not ice cream, you better believe I'm getting chocolate. If there's not chocolate, you better believe I'm getting something sweet. I end my day with something sweet every single day. And 9.99, nine times out of ten, it's ice cream. Here's the thing. Years ago, I would have said, Oh, my gosh, I had ice cream and I would completely just fall into this spiral and then I would overindulge and I would overindulge because I was feeling guilty. And then I would get, okay, I need to get myself back on track Sunday night, need to get myself back on track. Monday. I'm going to completely cut it out, not going to have it again. And then come Thursday night or Friday night rolls around. Same exact cycle every single week, you guys. It is exhausting. [00:08:59][50.2]
[00:09:00] Please remember that balance is the goal. Perfection is unrealistic. Not only balancing what you should be doing in terms of properly feeling your body through macronutrients, but also balancing the foods that you need with the foods that you want. So really, one thing that I've learned is that especially when it comes to utilizing the 12 Mac or counting, and one thing that it taught me is that I don't have to eat perfectly every day. I don't only have to eat fruits or only have to eat veggies to build the body that I want. [00:09:30][29.4]
[00:09:30] Macro counting taught me that I'm able to eat whatever foods I want in moderation. It's not about eating perfectly clean every single day. It's about continuing to give my body the protein, the carbs, the fats that it needs. And sometimes that carb count or fat count comes from ice cream. Sometimes that fat count comes from avocado and rice. It just depends on the day. And also just recognizing how you feel after you properly fuel your body. So that has been just such a game changer when it comes to learning that. And also giving myself the grace to not be perfect is so freeing. [00:10:05][35.0]
[00:10:06] Number four, give yourself rest. This one is so important on so many different levels. But first of all, sleep or lack of rest and recovery, this plays a vital role in regulating hormones that control hunger and appetite. So when you're sleep deprived or your rest deprived, your body produces more ghrelin, which is a hormone that stimulates app. Unless leptin, which is a hormone that signals fullness. So this hormonal imbalance can really lead to increased feelings of hunger and tendency to overeat. And plus, when you when this happens, like you amplify your cravings for high calorie, sugary fatty foods. And let's be honest, Like these cravings can be difficult to resist making it harder for you to control your appetite. [00:10:47][41.2]
[00:10:47] So not only does our imbalance between our hunger hormones make it impossible to stabilize our hunger to do, you know, lack of sleep and rest, but also impair your cognitive functions, including decision making. So when you're tired, you might be more inclined to make more impulsive or emotional food choices. Plus, inadequate sleep and rest increases your stress levels. It decreases your ability to handle stress, and high stress can trigger emotional eating. Do you kind of see how it's all interconnected? So simply put, a lack of sleep and rest that messes up your hunger hormones, which is making it harder for you to actually know what your body needs. [00:11:26][38.7]
[00:11:27] So when you're super tired, it's way more difficult to make the right decisions in terms of what to eat, how much to eat. And it's so much more difficult for you to control your stress, which can lead to emotional eating and, you know, missing your workouts and just overall not properly hydrating or feeling your body. Which leads me to my next point. [00:11:46][19.3]
[00:11:47] Number five, you've got to address your emotions. So we all know what emotional eating is. I'm sure we've all been there in some way, shape or form. Something happened where using food as a coping mechanism. But emotional eating often leads to overconsumption of food simply because you're not eating in response to your physical hunger. So when we emotionally eat, we turn to food to cope with emotions like stress or sadness or anxiety. But then we try to figure out how to stop overeating rather than trying to figure out why we feel stressed or why we're sad or why we're anxious. We try to find a solution to lack of self-control with food rather than try to find a solution for our stress, sadness or anxiety. And that's why if we want to take control of our hunger, we need to address and manage these things effectively. Like anything else, will just be a Band-Aid. [00:12:34][47.3]
[00:12:34] Most often when we are able to address our emotions and become healthier emotionally, we naturally start to control our hunger as well, and we're able to take better control of that. And so by tuning into our feelings and understanding their triggers, we are able to distinguish between true physical hunger and our emotional hunger, which makes it easier to are easier to respond appropriately in the moment. So all in all, like when you address your emotions, you're more likely to stop eating when you're satisfied. It becomes that simple, and this is going to look different from person to person. [00:13:09][34.9]
[00:13:10] So I need you to kind of look inward and ask yourself honestly, what is it that I need to do to address my emotions, what I'm ultimately feeling, the root of me overeating, overindulging, constantly. It has to be something deeper and really looking into that. [00:13:25][15.1]
[00:13:25] Okay, so let me quickly recap the five ways that you can start taking control of your food. Number one, prioritizing all through macronutrients, your protein, your carbs, your fats. Each of them play a vital role. Again, I will link all of those in the show notes below. Just that series on protein, how much to eat and why it's important Carbs, how much and why it's important. I again, just go through that scientifically nitty gritty and really just share with you and educate you about the macronutrients, because that's one thing I wish I would have learned. And my goal here in this podcast is to always teach you something that I wish I would have learned so that I can hopefully speed up the process for you so it doesn't take you a decade of your life. [00:14:05][39.7]
[00:14:05] You know, it took me a decade plus of my life to get to where I am, and I want to hopefully give you at least a short, shorter I don't want to say shortcut, but a shorter pathway to ultimately feeling your best. Mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, all the things. [00:14:22][16.7]
[00:14:22] Number two, give yourself a proper breakfast. Remember that breakfast can really set up your day. It's a it's a great foundation and just no, a lack of not eating a proper breakfast will likely result into eating, you know, within the hour or an hour later or getting to 3 p.m. and just eating everything in sight because you're so hungry and that hunger has built upon itself. Number three, don't try to be perfect again. Consistency trumps perfection every time. [00:14:48][26.0]
[00:14:49] Number four, give yourself rest. And number five, address the root problem. Address your emotions. So again, if you want to learn how to properly feel your body, I do have a program for you all. Link in the show notes below. This is exactly what has transformed my relationship with food. It really just helped me get a grasp on educating myself so that I can feel empowered around foods that food no longer controlled me. And it really did help me break free from the toxic eating patterns that I had so that I could finally feel my best in my body. So I will link that. I will also link the podcast series in the show notes below on protein, carbs and fats that you can dive deep in. To that nitty gritty scientific typical topics there. But that is all that I have for today's episode. [00:15:30][41.5]
[00:15:31] I hope that you found this helpful. I hope that this gave you some good tips or tricks when it comes to letting food control you again, everybody's going to be different. So take all of these things with a grain of salt, take in what you feel is going to help you remove anything else that is not going to serve you in this season of life. But if you have a friend or coworker or someone in your life that you feel like would benefit from this specific topic or this podcast in general, I just ask that you share it out with them. Also, if you could leave a rating interview, that would greatly be appreciated. I appreciate every single one of you guys who do that, whether it's on Apple Podcasts or rate over on Spotify. I love you all so much. That's all that I have for today's episode and I'll talk to you in the next one. [00:16:11][40.6]
[00:16:17] All right, sister. That's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie, A Ledbetter. Yes, It's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing. Be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace Syria because you're worth it. [00:16:17][0.0]
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