5 Ways to Improve Your Self-Worth

Do you find yourself constantly seeking validation from others?

Maybe you question your worthiness based on your appearance, weight or shape?

Cultivating self-worth is not an overnight process. It's a cumulative effort, and sometimes, the smallest steps make the biggest impact. Accept that you are not perfect, and that's perfectly okay. This is an ongoing, active practice that involves embracing your imperfections without judgment.

Improving your self- worth is perhaps the most powerful thing you can do when it comes to overcoming emotional, binge and disordered eating behaviours.

Here are some practical steps to get you started:

1.       Nourish Yourself First: Prioritise nourishing yourself in all aspects of life – not just food. Take time for rest, engage in self-care, and meet your emotional needs. Neglecting yourself can lead to feeling resentful, tired, and overwhelmed. By putting your well-being first, you'll be better equipped to care for others.

2.       Set Boundaries and Prioritise Self-Respect: Respect from others begins with self-respect. Let others know that your needs matter, and it's okay to prioritise yourself. Establishing boundaries is critical; it's like building a fence around your home. Say no when necessary and set clear rules for others to understand how to respect you.

3.       Trust that you are the expert of yourself: Don't let others dictate who you are or what you should be doing. Trust yourself and let go of old identities that no longer serve you – especially those tied to dieting or societal expectations.

4.       Define Meaningful Goals: Focus on goals that truly matter to you. Consider what brings happiness to your life in the present moment. By aligning with your purpose, you not only foster your self-worth but also create a sense of fulfilment that goes beyond physical appearance or external validation.

5.       Recognise Your Value: You are more than just your body. Reflect on the qualities and values that define you as a person. Ask yourself and those close to you: What do they value in you beyond your physical appearance? Why do they enjoy spending time with you? Make a list and add something to it daily.

Take one step today – no matter how small – towards growing your self-worth. Whether it's setting a boundary, prioritising self-care, or acknowledging your achievements, each positive action contributes to the foundation of a healthier relationship with food, your body and yourself.

Do you long to have a happy relationship with food, but don’t know where to start? Download my FREE guide Breaking the Cycle - Your First Steps to Healing Your Relationship with FoodFood, to begin your journey

This invaluable resource will help you:

✔️Know when you’re really hungry and when you’re not

✔️Learn when to eat that’s best for you

✔️Know the best snacks to help you stop craving and feeling out of control

How to watch ‘Bake Off’ and prevent a binge!

The new series of The Great British Bake Off kicked off recently and coincidentally triggered a conversation initiated by a number of my clients during their sessions. It began with ‘I watched bake off this week and……’

(Now for the sake of full disclosure, I want to add that a vast majority of my clients come to me for help with emotional eating, bingeing and overeating.)

So it got me thinking; what impact do entertainment based baking programmes such as Bake Off have on these very people who struggle with emotional eating? Is watching a programme about baking, really likely lead to a binge?

If emotional eating is something you struggle with, would you change the channel and never watch a baking programme again? If friends and family are watching, would you lock yourself away? Or would you indulge in the programme (and some cake) and then feel bad about it afterwards? Perhaps for you this wouldn’t be a cue to unhelpful eating behaviour at all.

On the surface this may look like a trivial dilemma to some, but for many women battling with their relationship with food, it could be a potential trigger they need support with.

So what did my clients do?

One of my clients, who has been working so hard on behaviour change, did watch the programme in the evening when historically a binge would have happened. She was overjoyed when telling me that she ate balanced meal and felt satiated and didn’t binge later in the evening. This was a great milestone for her. We have been working on regulating her blood sugar so that she is less likely to crave. Addressing her ‘all or nothing thoughts’, is also now beginning to pay off.

Another client decided that she would like to bake something to share with her flat mates and enjoy the programme with them. Here we discussed her mindset around this. For her, eating this piece of cake mindfully, slowly, chewing well and savouring its deliciousness was the way to go.

my advice to you

The answer is not clean cut. Firstly it depends where you are on your journey. Where that journey begins depends to some extent on the history of your relationship with food.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that food restriction does not work. This is far more likely to result in a binge at some point. The intense cravings may lead to one piece of cake consumed at great speed, in secret, mindlessly, perhaps standing up. You won’t have taken enjoyment from it, your stress response will have been triggered, and one piece will lead to two, three or more. It’s likely that automatic negative thoughts such as ‘I’ve blown it’, will prolong your ‘fight or flight’ response. Your digestive function will now be reduced affecting the way you metabolise your food i.e. how you burn your energy.

So you could try this; Watch Bake Off, then, if you would like a piece of cake, chose to have it, if you are able to eat it mindfully. Take some deep breaths, perhaps serve it on some lovely crockery, take very small mouthfuls, chew it well and savour the flavour. Finally, ensure the thoughts about yourself that follow are kind and compassionate.

If you are struggling to overcome emotional eating, binging or overeating, I want you to know you are not alone. I work with people just like you who need a new approach to gaining balance and moderation in their life. I will help you to take back control without feeling deprived or hungry.

I developed The Food Freedom Method online coaching programme, after working with hundreds of women who shared your pain. It looks at how, what and why you eat, incorporating nutritional therapy, coaching and the psychology of emotional eating.

My proven 8 step method will coach you through the process giving you all the tools you need to finally overcome the cycle of overeating and dieting. It will help you shed the layers of shame and guilt and be able to accept yourself. You will discover how to make sense of what your brain and body are going through, feel supported and empowered.

If you are ready to transform your life, join the waiting list to gain access to the special, one-time only launch price and find out more

Struggle with compulsive eating? What you need to know about hyper-palatable foods

Ever tried to eat a crisp and stop at one? Like many processed foods, crisps contain a combination of carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, salt and often sugar that affect our brain-reward circuitry. They overpower our appetite signals that tell us when we’re full. These foods have been coined hyper-palatable foods, by researchers studying their powerful effects.

Most processed foods commonly consumed in Europe and the US, meet the hyper-palatable food criteria. This was defined and accepted in 2019 by researcher’s who came up with specific quantities and proportions within processed foods that have the ability to affect our brain chemistry in this way.

Professor Fazzino and his team conducted a study that found that food companies have well designed formulas for foods to increase the amount we eat. The scientists believe they can activate our brain neuro-circuits in a similar way to cocaine. The researchers also discovered that these foods may have the ability to overcome our satiety and fullness signals that tell us when to stop eating.

I would forgive you for thinking foods labelled low or reduced sugar, fat or salt would not qualify in this rather special food category. However, the same study found that 49% of such foods also met the criteria. Understandably it feels almost impossible for most to navigate the food isles and avoid these brain hacking food products.

Most people I work with to overcome compulsive and emotional eating feel guilty and blame themselves, they feel society blames them for having no will power, failing at diets and not being ‘good’ enough. However, the battle is so much more complex than having will power. The addictive nature of these foods is one of the many components making it so hard.

If this is your struggle, I want you to know you are not alone. I work with people just like you, who need a new approach to gaining balance and moderation in their life. I will help you to take back control without feeling deprived or hungry.

I developed The Food Freedom Method online coaching programme, after working with hundreds of women who shared your pain. It looks at how, what and why you eat, incorporating nutritional therapy, coaching and the psychology of emotional eating.

My proven 8 step method will coach you through the process giving you all the tools you need to finally overcome the cycle of overeating and dieting. It will help you shed the layers of shame and guilt and be able to accept yourself. You will discover how to make sense of what your brain and body are going through, feel supported and empowered.

If you are ready to transform your life, join the waiting list to gain access to the special, one-time only launch price and find out more