Challenging fear foods can be a very hard task. Moving foods into the free zone is not only important for variety in the diet, but it is also helpful as you move forward in recovery. Here are some tips for challenging fear foods:
- MAKE A LIST. Make a list of fear foods, ranking them from least scary to most scary. When deciding to challenge fear foods, start with the least scary and work your way through the list from there.
- ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME. Make small goals when challenging fear foods. Don’t try to overwhelm yourself by doing too much at one time. The object is to be successful in trying your fear foods, one challenge at a time.
- USE SUPPORT. When you challenge some of your fear foods, it may be better if you do it with some support. Plan to have a fear food with family or a friend, you may feel more comfortable with support and it is fun to be having the same food as the people around you!
- JOURNAL ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE. Whether you have a tough time with the fear food or challenging the fear food was a success, it may be helpful to journal about it. You can use your feelings and experiences the next time, what worked and what didn’t. This can apply to even more than fear foods.