Progress Over Perfection: What Healing With Food Actually Looks Like
If healing with food were as simple as ‘knowing better’, it would feel a lot more straightforward than it usually does. Learning how your body works, understanding nutrition, and building practical skills are all part of this process.
What surprises many people is that even with that knowledge, healing doesn’t always feel smooth or immediate. Learning is one step. Learning to trust yourself enough to use what you know takes time, and that is a normal part of the process.
From here, the work shifts from learning to practicing. This is where things begin to change.
Knowing Better Doesn't Mean Doing it Perfectly
Understanding your body and nutrition is an important step in your journey, but it is not the finish line. Acting on that knowledge can feel uncomfortable, especially if old food rules are stubbornly sticking around.
Progress might look like pausing before defaulting to an old rule. Or choosing nourishment even while feeling unsure. Or realizing after the fact what would have felt better. That is still a step. Awareness is part of change!
Confidence Grows Through Practice
It is so common to wait until you feel fully confident before taking action. In reality, confidence is developed after repeated, imperfect experiences. Trust is built by showing your body, again and again, that you can respond with care.
This is where support can help. In 1:1 sessions at BBN, we work with clients to bridge the gap between knowing and doing, at a pace that you decide. Whether a leap or a baby step, we know you are still moving forward. Maybe we try,
Trying something new once
Eating despite uncertainty
Reflecting > negative self-talk
That's practice. That's progress.
Healing is measured over time, not by one single choice
Healing with food isn’t proven by a single meal or decision. Take some pressure off! Healing is built through repetition, flexibility, and learning to pivot. Some days you’ll act on what you know, maybe others you won’t. Remember both, and move on with what you learned.
Progress over perfection means trusting that learning how to support yourself is a skill. And like any skill, it develops through use and time, not willpower and flawlessness.
If you understand nutrition but still struggle to trust yourself in the moment, you’re not doing this wrong. You’re in the middle of learning how to apply what you know to your real life, and that's where healing really happens.
If you are looking for support in building confidence with food + yourself, our Registered Dietitians at BBN are here to help. 1:1 sessions, masterclasses, and group sessions are designed to help you build this trust with food in a way that fits you.