If restraint around our eating worked, we wouldn't jump around from diet to diet, struggle with over eating, emotional eating & feeling out of control with food. If restraint around our eating worked, we wouldn't feel controlled by food.
Restraint around our food does not work. Which explains why diets do not work. They only succeed in making us more obsessed with food and with greater feelings of guilt when we "mess up." Diets try to sell us on the idea we are in control, able to exercise will power and say yes or no to certain foods. In reality, dieting just leaves us feeling like we are being controlled by food — and the science behind this makes sense.
Diet culture tells us that there are good foods and bad foods. It tells us to "eat this, not that." It tells us to replace our cravings with "healthier" alternatives. However, what isn't healthy is replacing cravings at all. Our bodies crave food for a reason — because we are hungry, because we need certain nutrients, etc. What isn't healthy is denying your body the things it needs, energy to sustain its daily functions. When we do this, we only become more obsessed with food because we aren't listening to our bodies.
Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat
When we give ourselves unconditional permission to eat — when we truly believe and trust that we can eat what we want, when we want, we develop peace centered around food. It is no longer a winning or losing battle. Instead, it allows us to truly tap into our bodies hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cues. We stop eating what a diet plan tells us and start eating what feels good physically & mentally, without feeling restricted or deprived.
What we need is more trust with ourselves around food.
You don't need yes and no food lists, or "eat this not that" posters.
We already have all the answers within us, it's only a matter of listening.