Gabi Meltzer, Registered Dietician, November 2024
In a world that encourages multitasking, overworking, and constant connectivity, boundaries are crucial not only for protecting your mental and physical health but also for fostering a positive relationship with food and body.
Why Boundaries Are Important
Setting boundaries allows you to create space for your needs and protect your well-being. This is especially important when it comes to food and body image because, without boundaries, it’s easy to fall into habits that are detrimental to your health.
Setting Boundaries at Work, Home, and in Daily Life
One of the most common challenges I see with clients is the struggle to set boundaries around eating. Whether it’s skipping lunch at work to get through more emails or meetings, or putting everyone else’s needs in the household first and not making time to prep, plan or sit down to eat a meal, a lack of boundaries around eating can lead to burnout or unhealthy eating patterns and choices.
Here’s how to set effective boundaries in different areas of life:
At Work:
Take regular meal breaks: Skipping lunch to catch up on work might seem productive, but it usually backfires. Setting a boundary to ensure you take a proper break to eat, not only supports physical nourishment, but it also helps with mental clarity and productivity.
Avoid multitasking during meals: Answering emails or calls while eating creates a disconnect from the act of eating, which may lead to mindless consumption. Making mealtime boundaries, free from work distractions, can make meals much more enjoyable, improve digestion and can be used as a mental and physical refuelling/energising opportunity and can contribute towards small pockets of self-care for the day.
As a Parent:
Prioritise your own meals: Many parents, especially moms, tend to feed their families first and then neglect their own needs. This can lead to irregular eating patterns and fewer opportunities for nutritious foods. Making it a boundary to feed yourself alongside your family ensures you have the energy to care for them better and is great for role modelling self-care and nutrition for kids.
Ask for help: If you’re a parent, setting boundaries might also mean asking your partner, family, or friends for help so you can make time for yourself, whether it’s to prepare a nourishing meal, exercise, or simply to rest.
In Social Settings:
Say no to diet/body talk: If you’re working on building a positive relationship with food, you might find it helpful to set boundaries with friends or family members who frequently discuss diets or weight loss. Politely steer the conversation away from these topics or let them know that you're focusing on a healthier relationship with food and body.
Asserting your needs: At social gatherings, if you find that family or friends start commenting on what you’re eating or how much you should be eating, being assertive may involve choosing foods that make you feel good (physically and emotionally), without letting the opinions of others dictate your choices. For instance, if you feel satisfied after a certain portion, you don’t need to keep eating just to please others. On the flip side, if you're genuinely hungry and someone suggests you shouldn't eat more, setting a boundary means honouring your hunger cues without feeling guilty.
Avoid comparing yourself to others: In social gatherings, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison. Do you ever find yourself worrying about how much or what you should eat depending on what/how much others are eating? Setting an internal boundary around self-talk and reminding yourself that your body’s needs are unique can better help to protect your mental well-being.
Practical Steps to Setting Boundaries
Identify your needs: What do you need to feel nourished, both physically and emotionally? Whether it’s taking a break during a busy day or making energising, sustaining and nutritious food choices (for the most part), recognising your needs is the first step toward setting boundaries.
Communicate clearly: Once you know what boundaries you need, communicate them clearly to the people in your life. For example, if you need to take uninterrupted lunch breaks at work, you may let your colleagues know that you won’t be available during a certain time. If you’re a mom, you may make it clear that you need time to eat and take care of yourself too.
Set boundaries with yourself: Sometimes, the boundaries we need are internal. For example, if you tend to engage in negative self-talk, you may set a boundary that helps you reframe these thoughts into something more compassionate. If you often skip meals or rush through them, you may set a boundary to slow down and be more mindful.
Practice self-compassion: Boundaries aren’t about perfection, they’re about self-care. If you slip up or struggle to maintain a boundary, you may need to practice self-compassion, realising that you are doing your best and that is okay. Setting boundaries is an ongoing process that takes time and patience and any mishaps or challenges are opportunities for learning, growth and a healthier relationship with oneself.
Boundaries and a Healthy Relationship with Food
Boundaries help nurture a relationship with food that is based on respect, nourishment, and enjoyment. By setting boundaries, you can protect your physical and emotional health and create space for honouring your body, your needs, and your right to feel nourished and at peace with food.
If you're looking to explore how boundaries can transform your relationship with food and body, I'd love to help you. Together, we can create a plan that works for your unique needs and lifestyle.
For personalised guidance on finding a more positive relationship with food, exercise, and your body, book a consultation here: https://www.gabimeltzerdietician.com/book-online.
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