If you have food issues

jshf

I've always struggled with my weight and have a negative body image.  Things have improved, but now with two kids, I find those issues are coming up again.

I question every food choice and wonder if I'm going to make my kids nuts.  For example, I make very healthy desserts and even the frozen gogurts are given as treats.  But I won't even give white bread or rice.  

Last week we ate at my sisters and she made DS this noodle soup with regular flour noodles and he loved it!  She asked if I had given him a bunch of other family favorites and I hadn't because they weren't "healthy".  I got to thinking that food is also about pleasure, experiencing different cultures/traditions, etc.  

I am struggling with finding a balance as well as dealing with my issues and not making them my kids issues.  If you've struggled with this, what helped you cope and give a healthy perspective to your kids? 

jaymiegerard

The book Intuitive Eating changed my life. 

It helped me to relax with food and listen to my body and its signals rather than my mind (which was so detached from so many years of dieting & seeing food commercials that I had no idea what actually made me feel good to eat).  One of the things they mention in the book is how toddlers naturally eat intuitively.

My goal for my son is to help him listen to his body.  I hope that he learns to hear when his body is hungry and full, and honor those sensations.  Sure, he'll sometimes eat junk food, just like I (and most of us) sometimes eat junk food... but when I listen to my body, I prefer food that is healthy because it makes me (and my body) feel good after.  

I hope that perspective helps, and if you are looking for a shift, you might want to try that book! :-)

Best of luck, and don't worry - your son will be fine!

znianiswan

HTH. I think, like a lot of things, your awareness is key!