Should you think about food all the time?

Last week a client came in for her first follow-up session. She recapped her week and said, “I feel like I’m thinking about food all the time, should I be?” I have to say I hear this a lot. I dug a little and a lot of this client’s food thoughts were of the planning variety. She also had a little insecurity over whether she was doing all of this right. I reassured this client. “You’re learning a new language and it’s not second nature yet. Of course it’s taking up mind time.” And then the follow up “not to worry, over time I don’t want you thinking about food 24/7 but some degree of forethought is always good.”

Not all food thoughts are created equal.

I was sent this link about a disorder called Orthorexia. This article questions this diagnosis as being anti healthy, conscious eating. I feel differently. It’s one thing to vet the foods you put into your body. It’s another if situations where you cannot control food choices are completely avoided or if food concerns outweigh food pleasure. It’s a fine line. Even some of the criteria for orthorexia sound a lot like things I recommend…planning your food day etc. My advice is that the more on top of healthy eating you are, the less you should be thinking about food. I tend to think the most destructive food thoughts are when food is off.  I’d take deliberation over guilt any day. Only you know if your food thoughts are bringing you sanity or stress.

Would you say you think about food a lot? Are these thoughts generally positive or negative? What’s your feeling on the disorder orthorexia?

I Call it Thin, You Call it Strong, She Calls it Healthy but It's All in the Approach

I was so honored the fantastic site Well and Good named LBT “One of the 6 New Healthy Food Books That Don’t Promote Fad Diets”The write up is great saying, “her tips are relevant, actionable, and easy to implement and she delivers tools to help you use them, like checklists, recipes, and side notes on "how to boil the perfect egg. (It's hard, right??)” But there was this “its name may suggest an obsession with getting thin (strong is the new skinny!), but don't let the title fool you.”

Really? Does the word thin suggest obsessiveness? If the title had been “Get Thin or Be Miserable” I’d understand some implied negativity.  When I ask clients for their goals the words healthy, thin, fit, confident and yes even…skinny (don’t mind that one either) come up most often. Many LBT readers and Foodtrainers’ clients know that part of the weight or size puzzle is that it takes planning and strategy even to maintain your weight and this strategy needs to change with age. But whether we’re talking thin, skinny or strong it’s really all in the approach.

The same day as the Well and Good list, my friend Aidan posted a great recap of our Happier Hour discussion appropriately titled Thin is Not A Dirty Word and 9 other Lauren Lessons.

But that would not be the final word on thin, this comment was posted:

I have to say that I think our culture is too focused on being thin. I agree that thin and healthy can coexist (for some) but I argue that the focus needs to shift to being healthy and the byproduct will be reaching our “healthy” body weight. My health (and appearance) improved tremendously when I started to focus on getting more of the good stuff (nutrient dense foods) into my body. I have educated myself on what is good for me – eating colorful plant based foods and a moderate amount of healthy proteins, drinking lots of water, and getting adequate sleep and moderate amounts of exercises that I enjoy. I choose this approach because it’s about adding good stuff not depriving myself of the bad stuff. I guess I prefer to focus on the positive…what I can “gain” from being healthy (energy, glowing skin, longevity and vitality) not what I can loose on the scale.

While I’ll agree that we care about weight and appearance a little too much, the solution is to provide healthy strategies to approach food and exercise rather than pretending we only care about being healthy (or strong). The truth is, even this commenter acknowledged a change in her appearance so even if she’s anti scale she’s conscious of her looks too, we all are.

I also agree with the reader’s proactive steps and “additive” approach. My days are spent cheerleading for my clients. It would be so pathetic if my professional training resulted in helping people lose 5 pounds. There are so many “bigger” things that stem from taking control of your nutrition and the confidence that comes with it.  In the Little Book of Thin, I discuss how we can end food guilt, applaud ourselves for the effort cooking and “planning” takes and feel our best. Is that “obsessive”?

The irony is that I obsess over my body and weight when I eat the wrong foods. When my clothes feel good, when I’m eating foods that agree with my body and yes, when I feel thin I am not obsessed or overthinking any of it. Let’s not get stuck on a word or try to deny we care about our appearance. Instead let’s direct our energy toward whatever self-improvement means to each of us, spread positivity and eat the most delicious food possible. Deal?  

Do you thin is off putting? Or do you think it's semantics/splitting hairs? What are the adjectives you'd use to describe how you'd like your body to feel or look?