Feeling guilt and shame around eating and your food cravings is really common. Many people don’t feel guilt with eating, and this post will likely not speak to them. If you feel bad because you crave or embarrassed because you give into your cravings, you may want to read on.

I’m not a Psychologist or a Psychotherapist, but I do know that guilt is an uncomfortable feeling and it surfaces when we’re doing something we feel we ‘shouldn’t’ be doing, something that goes against our values. It’s something where we’re acting in a way outside of what we know to be our integrity. You probably know this feeling. This happens when you eat something and you can’t believe you ate it, but it was automatic, you may not even have enjoyed it and and then the feelings of guilt and shame follow.

I used to have incredible guilt and shame around eating, and it’s been so long since I’ve felt that, that I can’t even remember when it shifted for me as I did so much inner work around my relationship with food and my body. I do remember a very wise person telling me that:

‘feeling guilty about eating food is as senseless as feeling guilty about breathing air.’

That really stuck with me. I do know that feelings of guilt and shame can dissolve once you know why you’re experiencing cravings, and that’s the good news.
I had a client come to me a couple of weeks ago who had very strong cravings for sweets and coffee house drinks. If she indulged her cravings, she felt awful. During her session, she became aware of the underlying cause of her food cravings. She realized her body was trying to reproduce a happy feeling she felt when she ate a certain food with a certain family member in a specific type of situation. It was such a happy time for her, the whole rich experience, that her body / mind was trying to recreate by consuming the same food and beverage.

The problem was that her behavior was left over from early childhood and didn’t serve her in the least as an adult. The behavior brought her internal strife, guilt and shame, plus she felt bad physically after indulging and was afraid of gaining weight. But that all dissolved once she made the connection, and she could see that her body was not betraying her, but trying to help her feel good. That brings an opportunity for making your best decision based in a feeling of peace. That’s peace with food.

This happens all the time, and I’m so glad when it does, because that good feeling becomes more available to the person when he / she makes the neural connection. It’s not about mentally making the connection, it’s a whole mind / body experience that’s hard to describe until you experience it for yourself.

These moments of insight and integration are why I do the work I do with food cravings. I could help people with their food choices, balance hormones, give them herbs and supplements, and I do, but my first suggestion is always Acupressure (TAT). Why? Because it goes to the heart of the food craving, brings it to the forefront where it can be looked at, dusted off and transformed into something that’s much more satisfying.
The result? The person making these connections experiences a different relationship with food, one that includes peace, being in charge and an inclination to trust one’s body more.

So, if you experience guilt with eating or guilt with eating certain foods, there could be some old memories driving your behavior, especially if it’s behavior you don’t want to keep repeating.

My suggestion? It’s always going to be Acupressure (TAT), as there’s nothing else that’s as good in my opinion, but if you find something, please let me know.

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Yours in Health,