One of the reasons we feel guilty after eating is because we have categorized some foods as good and bad. In this way, when we eat something that is “bad” or we consider that it is “unhealthy” is when this feeling appears. It must be said that no food is bad or good in itself, what is bad or maladaptive is the meaning we give to food derived from beliefs that we have been building from a diet mentality and restrictive eating.
It is important to look beyond what we eat, that is, to be able to pay attention to how we eat it: if we do it with conscience, impulsively or compulsively, if we enjoy food, if we feel like it …
In addition to identifying the categorization of food as good or bad, it is also interesting to review the internal and external rules regarding the way of eating to understand where does the guilt come from when we eat. It is very common to hear that eating pasta at night makes you fat, that bananas are too caloric and should be avoided, that it is not good to eat bread, etc.
We have built a significant number of food myths based on popular arguments and that have nothing to do with scientific evidence. Therefore, we must review each of these premises and contrast them with reliable information to dismantle ideas that we surely have ingrained for a long time.
Another aspect that affects guilt after eating is setting strict and rigid guidelines with food, which would be forbid us to eat certain foods. Eating or not eating guided by a rigid pattern takes us away from the primary and necessary sensation of hunger and also of satiety.
Our body moves away from the compass that gives us such valuable information as when to feed. In this way, when I listen to my body and feel hungry, I feel guilty if this happens outside of the pattern that we have set for ourselves.
