7 thoughts on foods you should ban forever

7 thoughts on foods you should ban forever

Where the mind leads, the body follows isn't just a great Instagram caption; it's the truth. Your thoughts can make you or break you, and nowhere is this more true than with food. In fact, some of your beliefs could be keeping you from reaching your weight loss goals and even hurting you. (Psst... Check out these 7 Weird Things That Could Make Your Waist Bigger.)

You don't have to be at the mercy of your mind. Check out these seven common but oh-so-wrong thoughts about food and see if any of them apply to you:

“I can't help it, I'm addicted to it Garbage Groceries."

Believing you are powerless in the face of tempting treats can lead to a vicious cycle of restriction and bingeing. A University of Liverpool study found that women who were randomly told they were "food addicts" then reported that they were very worried about food. While this helped them eat less of a subsequent snack, the women also showed greater fear of eating and enjoyed the food less, eating so quickly that they didn't even taste the treat.

One way to combat feelings of helplessness when eating is with mindful eating, says Susan Albers, PsyD, nutritional psychologist and author of 50 More Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food. When you pay attention to what you eat and recognize that you have choices, you will be able to better control yourself and manage your diet better.

“Let’s celebrate with margaritas and pizza!”

Food and celebrations go together like birthdays and cake. And there's nothing wrong with enjoying a delicious meal. The problem is when you use food as a reward or punishment, says Albers. Rewards and junk food both release serotonin, the “feel-good” chemical in the brain. So if you constantly reward yourself with junk food, you are programming a good emotion around bad food. “Rewarding yourself with food is a dangerous habit that is often started in childhood by well-meaning parents,” she explains. “But a real reward fits nicely in your pants.”

“Devil’s Food Cake is really that Devil.”

Demonizing certain foods can make you feel righteous, but labeling them "bad" can backfire by bringing out your inner rebel, according to a new study from Cornell University. People who were told that "all sugary snacks are bad" ate 39 percent more cookies than people who were told a positive or neutral message about the snacks. Instead of monitoring your eating with emotionally charged thoughts, the researchers recommend being more honest and balanced. “If you want to change what [you] eat, a more balanced message that includes both positive and negative information is the way to go,” said Naomi Mandel, Ph.D., one of the authors.

“Granola bars arehealthy, right?”

Many foods that are marketed as “healthy” or “all natural” have a health label that they don’t necessarily deserve. But while these terms are completely meaningless and say nothing about actual nutritional value, thinking that a food is healthy can make you eat more of it, according to a recent study published in The Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. “When we think a food is healthier, we actually eat more calories than foods we perceive as less healthy,” she says. "This study makes a good case for being even more careful with portion sizes if you believe the food is 'healthy.' Check the back of the packaging to make sure it is truly nutritious or is just a marketing ploy."

“I swear off pizza until all eternity!”

We've all been there: We feel guilty about splurging or depressed about our weight and resolve to never eat junk food again. Unfortunately, this kind of black-and-white thinking leads to failure, says Albers. Instead of putting your favorite foods off limits forever, a practice that she says can lead to binge eating later, take some time to sit quietly and enjoy each bite to the fullest. “Recent research suggests that accepting cravings helps reduce them rather than suppress them,” she explains. “It sounds counterintuitive, but fighting with yourself leads to worse decisions.”

“Ice cream really helps me feel better after a separation.”

There's something inherently comforting about eating certain foods - it's called comfort food for a reason! But just because it works doesn't mean it's the best option, says Albers, pointing to a study that found people felt less stressed for just three minutes after giving in to a chocolate craving. "We have this misconception that eating large amounts of delicious food will bring us joy. Unfortunately, food is only pleasurable up to a certain point," she says.

The trick is to find the line between feeling full and comfortable fullness, which requires you to be very sensitive to your body's signals. That's why she recommends eating slowly, sitting down, and without distractions (no phone!) so you can really pay attention to how you're feeling—and if you do, you'll probably find that your comfort food isn't as comforting as you thought. (Related: Healthy Recipes for Your Favorite Comfort Foods)

“The only way to get rid of a craving is surrender it"

Your first instinct might be to just eat the treat already, but that could backfire. (Here's what your cravings mean.) Many processed junk foods are designed to make you eat more and more, so one indulgence can trigger an insatiable desire to keep eating. However, according to a study from Carnegie Mellon University, you can use that same mental power to combat cravings by keeping other tools handy. Researchers found that people who simply imagined eating a food in great detail had fewer cravings for it. Other options include drinking a large glass of water, going for a walk, or starting another activity. Simply changing the situation can curb the desire.