Free From Guilt

Beating yourself down for eating too much or not exercising enough can set you back on your health and weight goals – here’s how to accept what’s important and discard what isn’t

We all carry a certain amount of guilt baggage. There’s the “I’m not spending enough time with my kids” suitcase, the “I should have put in more hours at work” hold-all and the “I shouldn’t have said no to that invite” handbag. And then, there’s all the lifestyle guilt we lug around too.

Food guilt, exercise guilt, alcohol guilt, and even relaxation guilt. It’s a never-ending cycle. But is this guilt negatively impacting our well-being and sabotaging our goals for good health? According to research, it could be. One study found that feeling bad about what we’re eating causes our brain to transmit negative signals. The result? A slower metabolic rate and digestion, and an increase in calories being stored as fat rather than burnt for energy.

Similarly, other studies have shown that guilt can lead to stress and depression. That can manifest in physical symptoms such as headaches, a decreased immune system and a lack of motivation. One expert believes that guilt is a “destroyer of emotional energy”, leaving you feeling “immobilised”.

Psychologist, Dr Marny Lishman agrees. She says that guilt can affect our ability to think straight, problem-solve and make the right decisions. It also inhibits relaxation and creativity.

“I think that health-related guilt is fuelled by society’s expectations about what’s good or bad for us,” says Dr Lishman. “The problem with this guilt is that it can cause us to increase our unhealthy behaviours to cope with negative emotions. We can quickly get ourselves into an unhealthy spiral.”

So, how do we avoid the guilt trap to accomplish a healthy balance?

Food Guilt