Letting Go
The Liberation of Letting Go: Why Food Freedom is Key to Mental Wellness
Diet culture is all around us. It can feel like everywhere you turn, there’s a message telling you to “eat less” or “be thinner.” These messages all revolve around one thing: control. Control over our bodies, what we eat, how we move, and how we present ourselves to the world. This focus on control can keep us stuck in a loop of constantly adjusting how we eat based on how we feel about our bodies that day.
The opposite of control? Freedom. It is possible to let go of the hold diet culture has on us and find a more peaceful, empowering relationship with food and our bodies. How, you may ask? One path is through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - a therapeutic approach that invites us to make room for discomfort, relate differently to our thoughts, and live more fully in alignment with our values.
What is Food Freedom?
Food freedom means being able to eat without guilt, shame, or pressure. It’s honoring your hunger and fullness cues, choosing foods that feel good in your body, and moving away from the “shoulds” imposed by society. Food freedom allows for flexibility, compassion, and trust, even on days when your body feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable.
If that sounds impossible, you’re not alone, and that’s where ACT can help.
An ACT Approach to Food and Body Healing
ACT is centered around building psychological flexibility - the ability to stay present, open, and engaged in meaningful actions, even when difficult thoughts or emotions arise. Instead of trying to control or avoid uncomfortable experiences, ACT invites us to make space for them and take action based on what truly matters to us.
One of the first shifts ACT encourages is moving from struggling with thoughts about food and body image to noticing them with curiosity and distance. In ACT, we call this cognitive defusion. The problem adjusts from having negative thoughts about food to instead the distorted belief that those thoughts are true and that we must listen to them. Rather, if we start to label these thoughts as stories we’ve been told, voices we no longer want to listen to, and viewing them as only a part of ourselves, these thoughts start to become what they truly are, just thoughts, not commands or actions.
We also practice acceptance, not of diet culture or harmful behaviors, but of the reality that difficult thoughts and feelings will show up. We are all humans who have been placed into a world that has told us different things about food and our bodies. Guilt, shame, fear, and self-criticism are part of being human in this world. ACT helps us make room for these experiences, so they don’t drive our behavior.
Living From Your Values
What kind of life do you want to live? How do your current thoughts about food and your body prevent you from living by your values? When we’re caught within restriction and control, life can become very small, focused only on weight, appearance, or food rules. But what if you valued connection, compassion, or freedom? Food freedom means aligning your choices with your values, not just your fears.
Maybe honoring your hunger cues allows you to be more present with your career, your friends, or your family. Maybe eating without rules makes space for joy and spontaneity. These are committed actions, steps you take not because they feel easy, but because they reflect who and what matters to you.
Start Small
This isn’t about achieving perfect body acceptance or becoming an “intuitive eating expert.” It’s about noticing your thoughts, making space for discomfort, and choosing one small step in the direction of food freedom. That might mean eating a snack even when the guilt voice chimes in. It might mean pausing to ask, “What do I need right now?”
If this resonates with you, know that you don’t have to walk this path alone. Our therapists are here to help you untangle the beliefs that keep you stuck and support you in building a life guided by acceptance, presence, and your core values. Reach out today to get started!