All the signs of a distorted relationship with food
Here are many examples (in bullet points) that show signs of a distorted or unhealthy relationship with food:
?? Mindset & Emotional Distress Around Food
- Feeling guilty, ashamed, or “bad” after eating certain foods.
- Seeing food in moral terms: “good vs. bad,” “clean vs. dirty foods.”
- Believing you must “earn” food by exercising or being productive.
- Feeling you need to “make up for” eating by skipping the next meal or over-exercising.
- Thinking your weight or food choices determine your worth or attractiveness.
?? Restriction & Control Issues
- Saving all your calories for one meal or event (e.g., starving all day to “earn” dinner or dessert).
- Avoiding social events because you can’t control the food there.
- Skipping meals intentionally to feel more “in control.”
- Feeling proud for going to bed hungry or ignoring hunger cues.
- Refusing to eat when others are eating to appear “strong” or “disciplined.”
? Binge–Restrict Cycles
- Eating very little or “perfectly” all week, then overeating or binging on weekends or cheat days.
- Labeling a day as “ruined” after one treat and then giving up by overeating everything.
- Thinking “I’ll start again tomorrow” after eating something you didn’t plan.
- Planning large binge sessions and buying specific binge foods in advance.
?? Obsession & Preoccupation
- Constantly thinking about food—what you ate, what you’ll eat, how many calories it has.
- Tracking every bite, calorie, macro—even if it causes stress or anxiety.
- Weighing yourself multiple times a day to check if food “made you gain weight.”
- Spending more time planning meals than actually eating them.
- Refusing any food not made by you because you can’t count the calories.
? Fear & Avoidance
- Feeling anxious when your usual “safe foods” aren’t available.
- Fear of eating in public because others might judge you.
- Avoiding entire food groups (carbs, fats, sugar) not for health reasons, but fear.
- Feeling panic if someone else cooks for you or changes your meal plan.
- Refusing to eat your favorite foods even if you crave them, out of fear of losing control.
? Body Image & Self-Worth Tied to Food
- Believing eating less makes you more worthy, disciplined, or successful.
- Feeling like a failure for eating more than someone else (or less “healthy”).
- Using the scale to decide how you feel about yourself that day.
- Checking body in the mirror after eating to see if it “changed.”
- Feeling you need to punish your body when you overeat.
? Secretive or Compulsive Behaviors
- Eating alone in secret so no one sees what or how much you’re eating.
- Hiding food or wrappers from others.
- Eating quickly and mindlessly out of fear someone will notice.
- Feeling out of control around certain foods—“Once I start, I can’t stop.”
- Stockpiling binge foods or constantly thinking about when you can eat them.
? Ignoring Your Body’s Signals
- Ignoring hunger to feel “strong” or “disciplined.”
- Eating past fullness because “this is my only chance.”
- Having no idea when you’re truly hungry or full anymore.
- Drinking excessive water, coffee, or chewing gum to suppress hunger.