Welcome to my post on how to rebuild your relationship with food! Also — announcing a new upcoming blog segment! 

Do you feel guilty after eating certain foods? Are you constantly chasing a “right” or “perfect” way to eat?

When disordered eating takes hold, it’s exhausting to overthink every bite. 🤯

As someone who’s overcome years of unhealthy food obsession, I’ve learned to rebuild my relationship with food through small, intentional steps. The freedom and peace that come with a healthy relationship with food allow you to live more fully and joyfully!

In this post, I’m sharing 5 practical steps to guide you in your own disordered eating recovery journey. ✨

Step 1: Let go of diet culture rules with self-compassion

A crucial step to rebuild your relationship with food is releasing rigid and unnecessary food rules.

What counts as a rigid or arbitrary rule varies, but examples might include:

• Avoiding food after 7pm
• Labeling foods “good” (such as a salad) versus “bad” (such as a cupcake)
• Restricting portions (e.g., only 1/2 cup of oats) regardless of hunger

While nutrient-dense foods and consistent eating times have benefits, overly rigid rules — especially those tied to morality (e.g., “I’m bad for eating a brownie”) or with arbitrary limits can harm more than help. 🤦‍♀️

Try this journaling exercise: Grab a notebook and list all the food rules you follow. Ask yourself:

• When and why did I adopt this rule?
• What fears or beliefs about food or my body drive this rule?
• Would I recommend this rule to a loved one?
• Is this rule rooted in fear or a balanced, compassionate approach to health? 

Step 2: Honor your hunger and fullness cues 

Learning to trust your body’s hunger and fullness signals is essential for rebuilding your relationship with food.

My version of the Hunger-Fullness Scale is an intuitive eating tool that can help with relearning hunger and fullness cues. From a scale of 1-10 (where 1 is famished and 10 is stuffed) aim to start eating at a 3 (moderately hungry) and stop at a 7 (comfortably full). If disordered eating has dulled your hunger cues, they might feel inconsistent or absent.

To rebuild trust, respond promptly to hunger rather than delaying or restricting. Ignoring hunger can slow metabolism, disrupt digestion, and increase the risk of chaotic eating episodes.

If your hunger cues are unreliable, eating regularly (~every 3 hours) is imperative to restoring them.

For more intuitive eating support, check out Evelyn Tribole’s latest book, Intuitive Eating for Every Day.

Step 3: Reframe food guilt with positive self-talk

Food guilt can feel overwhelming in recovery. A powerful strategy is reframing guilt using positive affirmations from your Health Self. 

Examples of reframes include:

• “Food nourishes my body, and I’m doing nothing wrong by eating.”
• “My body adapts to flexible food amounts daily.”
• “All foods fit in a healthy relationship with food. Extremes lead to imbalance.” 

What’s an affirmation that helps you combat food guilt? Share in the comments below!

Step 4: Build a support system for recovery

Lasting recovery requires a strong support system. This might include:

• Following recovery accounts on social media
• Reading memoirs or blogs about food freedom
• Joining a support group
• Talking with a trusted friend or mentor

It can also be game-changing to have dedicated one-on-one professional support, ideally from both a dietitian and a therapist. As a virtual eating disorder dietitian in Michigan, I help clients uncover the root of their food struggles and build lasting freedom.

Ready to explore professional support? Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit. 💫

Step 5: Celebrate small wins on your food freedom journey 

Every step toward food freedom matters.

Recent client wins include:

• Eating lunch without skipping to avoid hunger
• Eating chocolate regularly, guilt-free
• Adding an evening snack, challenging “no late eating” rules

What’s a win you’ve had lately? Share it in the comments!

Your next step to rebuild your relationship with food 

Rebuilding your relationship with food is a journey of self-compassion, challenging unhelpful beliefs, and taking courageous steps forward. What’s your next step?

• Have a recovery question? Submit it for my monthly Libby’s Listening blog segment, where I answer one reader question each month! Submit your question here. 💜
• Ready to deepen your food freedom? Book a free consultation for virtual nutrition counseling in Michigan, Idaho, Texas, Arizona, or Colorado.

Explore More

Eating Disorder or Disordered Eating? Healthy Food Boundaries vs. Unhealthy Restriction 10 Common Thought Patterns Perpetuating Your Disordered Eating Understanding Anorexia: The Highly Sensitive Personality Trait