The Rules That Keep You Stuck

What if the guilt you feel around food isn’t actually about food—but about a rule you didn’t even know you were following?

In this episode, we unpack what food rules are, where they come from and how they quietly shape your relationship with food, hunger, and your body. I’ll walk you through two reflective assessments to help you spot the rules running the show—then share how to start letting them go.

We’ll talk about:

• Why food rules feel safe (even when they’re not)
• Common rules you might’ve learned from trainers, parents, or wellness culture
• The difference between external control and internal trust
• What it actually looks like to eat without a rulebook

Whether you're new to intuitive eating or deep in the process of unlearning, this episode is your reminder: you weren’t born with food rules. And that means you can let them go.

Food Rule Self-Assessment:

Do you count calories, macros, or points, obsessively?
Do calories determine what or how much you’re allowed to eat?
Do you feel you must eat perfectly to be healthy?
Do you follow rules about what time of day it’s okay to eat?
Do you avoid snacking, or feel guilty when you do?
Do you try to avoid specific foods entirely, like carbs or fat? (excluding medical reasons)
Do you eat differently when others are around?
Do you compare what’s on your plate to what others are eating?
Do you have rules around drinks—like you can only drink things with no calories?
Do you have rules around needing to work out to “earn” your food?
Do you believe carbs or sweets should be limited or avoided?
Do you weigh or measure your food to get the perfect serving size?
Do you keep a mental list of “off limits” foods?

Family Food Rule Assessment:

• Did anyone monitor your portions?
• Were your parents dieting or critical of their own bodies?
• Were sweets restricted?
• Were snacks only allowed at specific times?
• Did your parents label foods as “bad” or “fattening”?
• Did your parents have strict guidelines about meals or how much you should eat?
• Were you expected to finish everything on your plate, even if you weren’t hungry?
• Were desserts or snacks only allowed as a special treat?
• Did you ever feel you had to sneak food?
• Were you ever given a nickname that had to to with your appetite, weight, or body size?
• Were there different food rules for different members of the family?
• Did your parents comment on what or how much you ate in front of others?
• Did your household send mixed messages—telling you to lose weight but encouraging you to always finish your food?

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