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How can I make myself stop thinking that food is the enemy?

13 Answers
Last Updated: 02/15/2022 at 10:06am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
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Melissa Strauss, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

I am client focused and believe everyone has a strength. I feel confident in seeing clients with generalized and social anxiety, depression and relational goals.

Top Rated Answers
Rabbit3ars
July 6th, 2015 5:03am
Look into all the health benefits of food and what your body missing out on. Manage portions of food instead of none or a lot, and tell yourself you're becoming healthier.
Anonymous
October 2nd, 2015 7:11am
Food isn't the enemy, it's necessary. It's the negative thoughts, and the eating disorders that are the enemy. Food never told you that you were not enough, but your eating disorder did. Find structure and manage portions for your body type. The average adult consumes about 2000 - 2200 calories a day. You should try and find healthy alternatives and understand that doing too much of anything is not good for you. Think about the importance of health, not appearance.
sweetPumpkin99
February 26th, 2015 6:43pm
Good food keeps you alive, and life is definitely not your enemy. everything is bad and can be your enemy if misused, sleep, medication, cars, beauty products, even the sun and the light so don't be afraid of food coz it is just like everything else :)
ArtChoosestheArtist
March 4th, 2015 7:51am
I've heard that making your food colorful helps turn something from a chore into fun. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most fun to play with in my experience.
Bubbyduckie
April 28th, 2015 3:13am
Food is something that you need in your life. Eat something light that you know that you can keep down, and start to realize that the food is doing you no harm
SnugglyPanda
May 11th, 2015 8:09pm
Remember that your body wants you to eat. You may see food in a negative way right now, but your body doesn't! It keeps making all sorts of signals to try to communicate with you and tell you that something is wrong. Also, remind yourself that eating when you are hungry is the best way to meet your body's demands and to make it happy. If your body is happier, chances are you will be too. If you consume just the right amount that you need (i.e. you stop when you feel satiated), then you'll do better! One advise I would give you is to try new foods and finding out which ones you like best, if you can. Also, think about ways of making your meals more enjoyable to you; perhaps there are ways of improving the environment in which you eat that can help you.
Belbelbel
June 6th, 2016 9:23pm
You have to realize that your bodily and mental functions rely on your food intake quite a lot. Food is not the enemy, because food is a necessity. You don't have to wake up tomorrow and think food's your friend but it's important to understand that you cannot live without it - therefore, it's just food. Don't let your emotions make food into something more than what it is.
earlgreyNL
July 26th, 2016 8:58pm
In my experience what has worked best for people is to focus on something else. Actively trying to not think of something will only make you frustrated and possibly think about it more. When you find something else that will distract you from thinking that food is the enemy you will no longer ruminate over this thought.
beYOUtiful365
- Expert in Eating Disorder
November 29th, 2016 9:54pm
Start by making food a reward rather than a punishment. When you complete a difficult homework assignment or task, treat yourself to a snack (something you love or enjoy eating) rather than depriving yourself. Not only is the food rewarding, but the nutrition will nourish you to keep going.
brightLight35
August 27th, 2018 8:32am
You can try thought replacement methods. With the thought "Food is the enemy" you can replace it with more neutral or positive affirmations like "Food is just fuel" or "My body needs this energy in order to work properly" or even "I need this energy because it allows me to do the activities I want to do". In itself, food is neutral and it's not an enemy: everyone needs it to live, and if it's not an enemy for others it is nothing wrong for you as well. Food's purpose is not to harm or hurt you in any way.
romanticthi3f
September 11th, 2018 2:12am
Practice, practice, practice! My guess is that you've been thinking that food is the enemy for a really long time (?). To our brain, this is kind of like a fact now. So what we're trying to do is rewire our brain to think differently. This is why it's so so hard to believe other things and our brain/thoughts automatically retreat to 'it's the enemy!'. Be kind to yourself. Keep reminding yourself that food is just food. It isn't good or bad; it's just food. Even though it can seem so foreign in the beginning, with practice it does get easier and more believable.
bioluminescentb50
February 8th, 2021 8:28pm
I really struggled to separate my worth from what I ate for a long time. Food is not “good” or “bad” and you aren’t “good” or “bad” depending on what you eat. There is something wonderful for you in every food from donuts to salads. It can be really scary to eat something that makes you feel upset or out of control but you have to remember that food is not your enemy it’s what you think about food that is. Nourishing your body is a necessity, it can feel like an evil necessity but if you work on your relationship with food it can be a joyful and beautiful necessity. Something that really helped me was thinking about me as a child, would I look at that little girl and tell her she was bad for eating? No you would never tell a child that because you know they have to nourish their bodies. Give yourself the same love little you deserved and still deserves.
Zahraa000
February 15th, 2022 10:06am
Food is not considered an enemy as much as it is considered a lust that must be controlled through good eating habits and eating the right quantities Food provides the body with energy, protects it from diseases, strengthens it, and makes it resistant to viruses in the air . Without food, all creatures would have died because they are not supplied with energy to perform their daily tasks. Food strengthens the body, and without it, the body becomes weak and useless and not resistant to external changes