Back in my dieting and disordered eating habit days, I remember feeling guilty a lot for my food choices. Whether it be because of what I was eating or the amount I was eating, I frequently felt like I was doing something wrong when it came to food! Here are just a few examples of what I used to make myself feel guilty for with my disordered eating habits:

1. Feeling hungry soon (about 1-2 hours) after I had gotten done eating something else earlier
2. Eating food I love but considered bad for me at the time
3. Overeating food at night because of how hungry I was, not realizing at the time it was because I wasn't letting myself eat enough during the day

Can you relate to that feeling of guilt and shame around food like I used to??If you can relate, then listen up because I'm here to tell you that feeling guilty for your eating habits is not necessary! And the stress you put on your body is likely worse for your health than the actual food you're eating.Plus, if you're not happy with your current eating habits, then they can be changed, but that doesn't mean that restriction or guilt need to be involved!To understand why you don't need to feel guilty for eating and how to stop food shaming yourself, let's first discuss why you feel guilty in the first place.Where is your food guilt coming from? You weren't born with guilt around your food choices. Think about it, when you were a baby, you didn't second-guess whether you should drink your bottle when you were hungry because it was "too many calories." You simply knew you were hungry and somehow sent a signal to your mom (or whoever was taking care of you) that it was time to eat.Since we aren't born with the feeling of guilt around our food choices, that means we are taught to have guilt around them! And that's because dieting is SO loud and hard to tune out, so a lot of us are taught growing up that there are "good" and "bad" foods out there as a result. Whether it stems from a family member who is wrapped up in diet culture, or someone like a peer or an adult influence such as a teacher, it is extremely hard to get away from all the diet talk!And since we are little sponges as kids, we absorb what we hear and it becomes our reality.For example, maybe your mom told you that sweets were bad for you to try to get you to eat less of them as a kid. While your mom didn't mean this comment to harm you, what she did was teach you that sweets are bad for you, which lead you to morally feel guilty when you eat sweets because in your head, you view them as "bad."And keep in mind this type of message can come from so many places as a kid! So to answer the question of where your guilt around food is coming from, it is coming from what you were taught growing up about food.How you can stop food shaming yourself It is possible to change what you were taught growing up and and stop feeling guilty for your food choices, but it does take some intentional work to get there in the beginning.First, whenever you notice yourself feeling guilty for feeling hungry, eating, or any other food choice you make, take it as a sign.This is your sign to check-in with yourself and whatever untrue food rule you are still holding onto.For example, let's say it's 8pm at night and you feel hungry. Instead of honoring your hunger, you start to question why you're hungry and wonder if you really need to go to the kitchen and eat something. You start to feel guilty for feeling hungry late at night, and ultimately shame yourself into not eating even though you're getting hungrier by the second and can't stop thinking about food.If you want to get rid of your food guilt in this situation, I encourage you to challenge the food rule itself. So in this example, you're likely still holding onto the food rule that you shouldn't eat past a certain point in the night, which is untrue! Your body has no idea what time it is and if you're hungry at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm, etc., then eat! You're body isn't wrong for being hungry and it's telling you that it probably didn't get enough earlier in the day, which is something you can work on the next day if you want.Plus, when you do find yourself hungry later at night and know you probably only need a small snack, you can choose to be mindful while you're eating so you can eat the amount that satisfies your hunger instead of going overboard and feeling uncomfortable right before bed.So really, the key to ending the shame you feel around your food choices is to notice when you feel guilty for eating, identify the food rule you're still hanging onto, and challenge that food rule. Because ultimately, your body knows what's best for you, not an untrue food rule that you were taught growing up.And remember, guilt around food is taught and there is no room for it in your relationship with it anymore! Instead of feeling "good" or "bad" for the food choices you make, take the shame away and feel confident in the choices you make based on how your body feels in the moment. Need some support so you can stop overeating and feeling guilty for every food choice you make and start to living a happy and healthy life as the best version of yourself??I can help! You can either join my self-paced online course, The Path to Food Freedom and start working on taking the guilt out of your relationship with food today...I'd love to connect and support you in the best way that works for you!Disclaimer: If you purchase products through links posted on this site, I may earn money through affiliate partners, however, all opinions on products are genuine.