E18 - Eating and The Pink Elephant Paradox

Welcome to the Mindful Balance Mini Podcast.

If you are a woman over 40 ready to break free from fad diets and discover the power

of balance and confidence in your life, then this podcast is for you, and I am so happy

that you are here.

I'm your host, I'm Rachel, a nutrition and mindset coach, and I'm going to break down

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I want to invite you to join me as we explore practical strategies to stop overeating, nourish

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Hey, thank you for being here.

This morning, I realized that it is that time of year that I need to go get the flu shot.

Now, without getting too much into the discussion about whether or not it is a good or a bad

idea, I will just say that needles and I aren't a good mix.

It usually means that someone in the room has to lay flat and it isn't the nurse.

Anyways, I am not going for my appointment until the weekend.

So I decided in the meantime that I am just not going to think about it too much because

from experience I know that it will only make me more anxious.

And guess what?

All I've been able to think about today is having to get the flu shot.

The point is that if you have ever noticed how the more you try not to think about something,

the more it occupies your thoughts, then stick around because today's episode is about this

well-documented psychological phenomenon and how it has a surprising amount to do with

how we approach food and dieting.

Now, I don't know where this episode catches you.

Maybe you're in the car, walking, or just doing other things.

But if you can imagine being told not to think about a pink elephant, literally take just

a few seconds and try not to think about a pink elephant.

For most people, that pink elephant is all you can think about right now.

This is a classic example that is used by psychologists to explain the concept of thought

suppression.

This concept illustrates how our attempts to push certain thoughts away can often bring

them to the forefront of our minds.

Now let's apply this to food.

When we label certain foods as off-limits, they often become the most tempting thing

ever.

So why is that?

To understand this, I want you to try and look at it from another angle.

Think about a time when you were dieting or simply maybe trying to avoid certain foods.

Did you find yourself thinking about that food even more often than usual?

If you've ever been in that situation, I know that it is tempting to think that this is

happening because you don't have enough willpower or maybe because you are too weak.

If this is you, I want you to hear this.

It has nothing to do with willpower.

It is actually a natural reaction of your brain.

Let's consider this from another perspective.

I want you to realize that this explains not just the foods that we're trying to avoid,

but also how this thought process impacts your relationship with food in general.

When we are constantly categorizing food into good and bad, our entire mental space becomes

a war zone of what we should and shouldn't eat.

This is really exhausting and ironically, it in most cases, lead us to obsess even more

about the very thing we are trying to avoid.

In today's episode, we're going to explore why our brains react this way and what this

means for our eating habits and dieting efforts.

I want to share with you the research and studies that explain this phenomenon and challenge

some common dieting myths that I hear about a lot.

So first thing first, I want to get back to the pink elephant analogy from earlier, because

it is the perfect place to start.

This experiment, when people are asked not to think about something, is often cited in

psychological studies.

It perfectly explains the paradox of thought suppression.

The more we try not to think about something, the more it dominates our thoughts.

This concept was extensively studied by psychologist Daniel Wagner, among other people.

Wagner's research revealed that when we try to suppress certain thoughts, especially under

stress or distraction, these thoughts come back with even greater intensity.

Wagner called it white bear experiment, but it works similarly to the pink elephant analogy

that we've been using.

Participants in his study were asked to not think about a white bear for a certain period.

Then, they were told that they could think about the bear afterwards.

So the results were that during the time the participants were supposed to avoid thinking

about the bear, they thought about it a lot.

Even more interesting was that once they were allowed to think about the bear, they thought

about it even more frequently than before the experiment began.

Applying this to dieting, when people try not to think about certain foods, like how

participants try not to think about the white bear, they might end up thinking about those

foods even more.

And when they finally allow themselves to eat or to think about those foods, they're

cravings and thoughts about the food can become even more intense.

And I want you to really reflect on times when you've tried to avoid certain foods

and likely thought about them even more, because this is the brain's natural reaction to suppression.

We inevitably make food more present in our mind because in order to make sure we're not

thinking about something, we need to use mental space in our brain, which creates us thinking

about it even more.

This can explain why diets that are focused on restriction can often lead to an increased

obsession with food.

Moving on, let's dive deeper into the relationship between dieting and food, quote unquote, obsession.

Basically thinking about food a lot.

I am sure that it will not come as a surprise to you that many studies have shown that the

psychological effect of dieting can be profound.

Restrictive diets, which is when certain foods are labeled as bad or completely are considered

off limits, can lead to an increased desire for these food.

It's a bit like the forbidden fruit, where the more we're told that we can't have something,

the more we want it.

In the context of dieting, forbidden foods become not just a physical craving, but a

psychological mental gymnastic, which then creates a cycle of craving, restriction, and

obsession that is so, so hard to break.

Okay, moving on.

There is one more psychological concept that plays a significant role in how we approach

dieting and eating, and that is cognitive dissonance.

Now, please don't run away.

It is a really straightforward idea.

This is when our beliefs, our thoughts, or behaviors are in conflict with one another.

This conflict creates a kind of mental discomfort or tension, which we naturally try to reduce

or resolve.

To understand this, let's take a common scenario.

On one hand, you might hold a belief that enjoying food and having fun food occasionally

is part of a healthy, balanced life.

On the other hand, you might also believe that to be healthy or to lose weight, you

need to restrict your food intake or strictly control your diet and avoid certain foods.

These conflicting beliefs can create discomfort or confusion and even sometimes frustration,

like what am I supposed to do?

I don't know what is right and what is wrong.

Imagine a friend of yours who starts a new diet.

I know we all have that friend that is always on the latest diet.

She believes that her diet will lead to health and happiness as promised by all the marketing

messages.

However, as she follows the diet, she finds herself constantly thinking about the food

that she's not allowed to eat.

She feels guilty when she does eat it, and yet she feels deprived when she follows her

diet.

This is what cognitive dissonance is in action.

Her behavior, which is restrictive eating, is at odds with her belief that enjoying food

is part of a healthy diet or a healthy life.

Another real-life example could be a woman who feels really proud of herself for being

self-disciplined and have the ability to stick to a diet.

However, she finds herself binging, let's say, on snacks late at night.

This behavior conflicts with her self-image and her beliefs about discipline and herself,

leading to feelings of shame and further reinforcing her food thoughts.

At this point, I am convinced that at least one of you is like, I know that diets don't

work.

I get it.

But there is no alternative.

This is exactly what I want you to challenge.

One of the biggest lies of diet culture is that extreme calorie restriction is the most

effective way to lose weight.

So much that I talk with clients who are completely scared of letting go of their diet rules because

it is the only thing that they know and it gives them a false sense of control.

And I get it.

So many of us have been practicing these behaviors for so long.

I'm going to give you a few examples.

When I'm talking about diet rules, it's things like believing that you can eat after 7 p.m.

or that eating carbs make you gain weight or thinking that you always have to choose

the sugar-free, low-fat ice cream.

There's so many examples of that.

And I know it can feel super scary and uncomfortable, but it is so vital for you to step back and

re-evaluate these dieting narratives.

By understanding the science behind weight management and how your brain works, you can

really make more informed choices that support your long-term health and your well-being.

Yes, some of these strategies may be effective for short-term weight loss, but they often

aren't sustainable or even necessary in the long term.

And the most frustrating part, they can also lead to an unhealthy relationship with food

and eating, and we are trying to walk away exactly from that.

As we wrap up the conversation about what food and pink elephants have in common, I

hope that you've gained a better understanding of the complex relationship between your brain

and your eating habits.

I want you to remember that the goal of today's discussion was not to provide you with this

one-size-fits-all solution, but more to encourage a deeper self-reflection about your relationship

with food and dieting.

Sometimes the strategies that we use with the best intentions can lead us down a path

that we don't love.

So thank you so much for joining me today.

Knowledge is power.

If you found value in today's episode, please share it with friends or anyone you believe

that could benefit from this discussion.

And please connect with me on social media if you haven't yet.

Until next time, this is Rachel.

Lots of love and courage.

Bye.

Thank you for tuning in to the Mindful Balance podcast today.

I hope you enjoyed our conversation and find inspiration to find your unique balance and

confidence.

Remember that the journey continues on Instagram.

You can find me at rachelemmanutrition.

That is one word where I share daily nuggets of wisdom to help you reach your goals with

ease.

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Until next time, take care and stay mindful.

Bye.

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The information in this podcast does not substitute for medical or psychological advice and is

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