You want to eat healthier—less sugar, more whole grains, more exercise. But you can’t seem to get started, or you give up after a while. But why is that?
It’s easy to get the wrong impression that we’re just undisciplined or somehow defective compared to some influencers. In this article, you’ll learn why that’s not true:
Why pure nutritional recommendations fail – and psychology makes the difference
For a long time, classic nutritional therapies consisted of telling people what to do and what not to do. However, it is rarely a lack of knowledge that is the problem, but rather the inability to integrate this knowledge into one’s everyday life. And that happens when the advice or good intentions are out of touch with reality. We are often not entirely clear about why we eat the way we do and do not recognize the challenges that the planned change entails. Nutrition is not a rational topic. It can fulfill a number of psychological functions, from self-regulation to strengthening the sense of community in a group. It is also an expression of identity, self-esteem, or self-care, for example.
Client example (expand)
Imagine a person who, in addition to health problems, is facing the challenge of “food depression.” They simply lack the sense of what tastes good and what should be cooked. There is no access. Eating is simply no fun and no longer enjoyable. Instead, they just shove something down their throat because they have to eat something. As we get to know each other, it becomes clear that this person hardly gives themselves any space between work and family. Now they lack self-reference and self-care. Instead of discussing recipe ideas, it makes more sense at this point to keep asking whether the person is satisfied with this, in order to pave the way for a desire for change. Then you can talk about strategies that help to give yourself more space in between and establish a good sense of self-care. In the course of therapy, the client rediscovers herself and, as a small bonus, gains a healthy diet – now an expression of self-care.
Self-management & self-regulation
Especially when we have a goal that we want to pursue in the long term, we need to bring external conditions into harmony with our inner world. A lot of important issues play a role in such a process!
Throughout our lives, factors such as how we manage and regulate ourselves have been shaped. We have learned what causes the least stress. However, if we now want to change something in this system, we must consciously deal with the stresses that change brings to our system. We must identify new, effective alternatives that bring our needs into harmony with the requirements of our environment and vice versa. In fact, our capacity for self-control and resilience is greater when we consciously address these issues.
Here is a rough overview (expand)
- The context in which a person finds themselves
- Patterns in the perception and interpretation of reality
- Body image & body perception, e.g., interoception or affects
- Emotional and affective processing
- Motivational alienation
- Motivational congruence between goals and needs
- Intrinsic or extrinsic motivation
- Self-reflection
- Intention and volition, decision-making and action
More information for those who want to know more:
Here, I go into more detail about the terms—and why they are so important for counseling or self-change!
🎥 Find out more in my 10-minute AI-supported video!
Key competencies are therefore mindfulness and self-reflection: Mindfulness means listening to yourself again—instead of reacting automatically. And self-reflection helps you recognize your own patterns: Why am I eating right now? What do I feel before, during, and after?
Psychology and eating behavior
Eating behavior is strongly influenced by psychophysiological processes such as interoception – the ability to perceive internal signals such as hunger, satiety, or tension. In emotional eating, for example, this access is often overridden. The question is not: Why does a client overeat? But rather: What are they missing when they don’t?
Naturally, we eat when we are physically hungry and stop when we are full. In contrast, a high degree of internal disinhibition means that we quickly react to thoughts and feelings with food. This shows how inseparable the psyche and nutrition are for some people. And we need this sensitivity in nutritional counseling!
Impulses for nutrition professionals (expand)
What function does this eating behavior serve for my client?
What does it protect them from?
And what would remain unregulated without this behavior?
What is being expressed, suppressed, or regulated through eating that is not accessible verbally?
What ambivalences arise when eating behavior is to be changed—and how do I deal with them in counseling?
What role does my own attitude toward food, control, and discipline play in the counseling process?
To what extent does my counseling promote the ability to observe oneself without immediately falling into judgment or control?
And how do I deal with it when mindfulness reveals ambivalent or unpleasant states?
Between hunger and support: What lies behind our eating behavior
Anyone who wants to change their eating habits must understand that it is not just about discipline, but about connecting with their own emotions, their body, and their real needs. Feel free to comment on your thoughts on the topic!
In the next post, I will show you how you can recognize ambivalence in yourself and your clients and use it productively. So be sure to check back!
Written by Florian Kubisiak