Do You Fall Into the Fat-Free Trap?

If you’ve been following my iEat Mindfully™ intuitive eating blog for some time, then hopefully you are well on your journey to becoming an intuitive eater or are already basking in the glory of being an intuitive eater.  It is important to note that the nutrition discussion of foods that are considered “healthy” is best to have if you have already made peace with food and have that healthy relationship with food.

What does healthy eating mean to you?

I’m sure there are a lot of things that come to mind, but I want to address the combo of the healthy mindset around food, and the healthy balance of food.  If you don’t have the healthy mindset around food yet, then it might be too early for you to read what I am about to discuss regarding the “fat free trap”.

Remember when the fat free craze started? You may have been part of the larger population of dieters that were so excited to find fat free cookies, chips, cake, ice cream…you name it. You could eat however much you wanted because it was fat free!

And what happened? You gained weight! This type of thinking likely led you down a wrong path…that of overeating and poor quality food choices.  By now you realize that fat free doesn’t mean calorie free and often means high in sugar, sodium and processed flours.

But fat free also led you down the path of not listening to your satiety signals. The thought of it being fat free made it okay to eat more and that right there has taken you further away from being intuitive in your eating.

As an intuitive eater, I encourage you to be aware of the fat free trap. Remember, fat free is not what we mean by healthy eating. Sugar is fat free, but you wouldn’t base your eating around foods high in sugar, which are also likely processed and further away from being whole foods as Mother Nature intended.

And you know what? You will probably be more satiated with a small serving of the “real” food, than the fat free version. You will stay in touch with your inner signals and have pleasure and meal satisfaction.

So, the next time you reach for a fat free version of your favorite food because you think you “should”, stop and think again. Do you really want the fat free or are  you falling into the fat free trap?

Your turn to take action: Do an experiment with regular ice cream and fat free ice cream. Portion a half-cup of each into a bowl. Sit down. Eat the regular ice cream and note your satisfaction and satiety level. Wait a few minutes. Then do the same with the fat free ice cream and note your satisfaction and satiety level. Share your experience in the comments below.