A common issue I observe with clients is an all-or-nothing approach to food. Over time, society and marketing has engrained these beliefs of 'good' or 'bad' leads to black & white thoughts.
Let's look at an example:
If you are eating a healthy food then you are being "good", and vice versa. If you slip from this, and you're choosing an un-healthy food, you're being "bad". Clearly this only sets us up for one thing and that is - a sense of failure. Being "good" can't be sustained longterm, nor is it a healthy mindset. Also it's going to make you crave the "bad" thing even more.
This can be a vicious cycle. For instance, you might binge comfort foods as you have "fallen off the wagon" from your healthy eating routine, then you remember and "get back on track", etc. so the cycle continues. . .sound familiar?
Healthy eating is NOT black & white - it should naturally ebb and flow. It should be filled with colors like the rainbow; one day you might feel more hungry and not satiated right away, so LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Especially us females, our bodies physically need more calories for our hormones and monthly cycles.
Allowing a degree of flexibility in your eating (and mindset) really is key to longterm and sustainable healthy eating habits. Likewise, creating healthy dialogue around food is very important. Let go of labels and terms that immediately imply restriction and negative thought processes.
So next time you have a sweet treat on the weekend with your fam/friends, don't think "there goes my healthy eating". . .simply see it for what it is: a sweet treat (and hopefully a delicious one!).
It is all about BALANCE.