Let's Talk About...Restriction

The Emotional Eating (and Everything Else) Podcast

On this weeks' podcast episode, we're talking about restriction. This is a topic that I know I've mentioned a number of times on the show, but I've never talked about it in depth. And given how common it is, it's about time that I do.

What comes to mind when you think about the word "restriction" (as it relates to food)? For me, I tend to think about the diagnosis of anorexia. I picture someone who's not eating nearly enough to sustain their body. Someone who has parts that are terrified of eating or of weight gain. Someone who's body is breaking down due to a lack of nourishment. You might picture the same.

But I think that's a very narrow idea of what restriction often looks like.

While certainly there are folx who are engaging in that level of restriction (research shows that up to 4% of women and up to .3% of men are diagnosed with anorexia at some point in their lifetime), many, many people restrict their food intake to a lesser degree. And I think many of those people don't really even realize that how they're eating would be considered restrictive.

For example, dieting is actually restriction. So is not eating certain foods or limiting how much of those foods you're eating. Restriction is also believing that you need to earn food with exercise. Or counting out exactly 19 grapes (or whatever the "correct" serving size of grapes might be) regardless of how hungry you are. And there are probably dozens upon dozens of other examples of restriction that we don't typically think of as restriction.

At this point, you may be thinking, "Hey--I do some of those things--so what? That's normal." Well, you're right--it is normal in our culture to engage in restrictive eating behaviors. But should it be?

To me, restrictive eating behaviors aren't Self-led. And in my humble opinion, being Self-led with food as what we're aiming for. I truly believe that our Self wants our body to be nourished and healthy. And I don't believe that Self supports restricting. Which means that restriction comes from our parts.

Let me say that again: restrictive eating comes from our parts.

And on this week's episode, we talk about the four most common reasons that our parts restrict food:

• Restriction is seen as "normal" and desirable in our culture
• To lose weight, maintain weight, or prevent weight gain
• As a means of controlling the chaos in one's life
• To feel special

We also talk about what restriction is (i.e. it's not just anorexia), what it can look like, and how our protectors use restriction to protect exiles. Quick example: say you have an exile who carries body shame from being told that your body is too large. This exile may be protected by a part who works really hard at trying to lose weight, thinking that if your body is just smaller that exile would no longer feel shame.

If you know you have parts that restrict food (or are now curious about whether or not you do), take a listen to this week's episode. My hope is that you'll have a much better understanding of--and appreciation for--these restricting parts. Take a listen!

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