Can You Be Fit And Have A Healthy Relationship With Food?

The struggle between being fit and having a healthy relationship with food. Can there be balance? (AI Generated)

“You track your macros, hit your workouts, and never skip leg day, but food feels like a full-time job.  You think about it constantly. Eating anything that is not a part of “the plan” may ruin progress.  And rest days, pssshh forget about it! They are like the end of the world. Sound familiar?

You want to be healthy and live an active lifestyle but it feels like walking that fine line into disordered eating. Can you really be fit and have a healthy relationship with food?

Spoiler Alert: Yes you totally can!

Fitness culture has taught us that discipline is the key to success. But what if that "discipline" is actually disconnecting you from your body, your hunger, your joy and even your performance?

The good news? Being fit doesn’t have to come at the cost of food freedom or mental peace. In fact, the healthiest athletes and fitness-minded people are often the ones who’ve found a way to fuel themselves without fear.

What Does “Fit” Really Mean, Anyway?

We first have to look at the meaning of fitness. Fit or Fitness by definition is “in good health, especially because of regular physical exercise” according to Oxford Languages. Seems harmless enough. However, somewhere along the way, “fitness” became synonymous with aesthetics, six-pack abs, lean muscle or GAINZ, visible veins, etc.  But in reality none of those things actually measure how healthy or functional your body is…they’re just there for appearance sake. 

Real fitness is about:

- How strong you feel

- How well you recover

- Are you able to increase force/ load

- How much energy you have for your day

- How sustainable your habits are over time

 I mean what do visible veins have to do with fitness if you don’t have the strength to lift?

So let me ask you this; Are your fitness goals adding to your life or quietly taking pieces of it away?

When “Healthy” Habits Become Harmful

Here are some red flags that your fitness journey may be harming your relationship with food:

- You feel guilt or anxiety after eating something not “clean.”

- You skip meals to “make up” for rest days or lower activity

.- You only allow yourself to eat certain foods if you’ve exercised as a reward since you “worked for it”

- You feel out of control around food after restricting it all week.

- You train through pain or exhaustion, afraid of “falling behind.”

Doesn't sound very healthy does it? To me, it sounds miserable and sucking out all the joy out of embarking on a health and wellness journey. Fitness isn’t supposed to feel like a food prison. And performance doesn’t require it to feel like a punishment.

Fitness and Food Freedom Can Coexist

One of the biggest myths in diet and fitness culture is that the more “disciplined” you are with food, the better results you’ll get. But long-term research shows the opposite. When people eat enough, include variety, and ditch the guilt, their bodies and performance thrive.

Food freedom in fitness looks like:

- Eating before a workout so you don’t hit a wall halfway through

- Letting go of  the idea of cheat meals and just… eating normally ( a brownie is not going to make or break you. ) It might actually give you the energy that you need.

- Knowing that rest and recovery are part of progress.

- Fueling for performance, not just for appearance

What a Healthy Relationship with Food Actually Looks Like For Active Folks

A healthy relationship with food isn’t about perfection. It’s about flexibility, adequacy, and trust.

Here’s what that might look like:

- Consistently eating enough and not undereating on rest days or skipping carbs

- Honoring cravings without guilt, even if they don’t fit your macros

- Eating regularly, even if you're not "super hungry" post-workout

- Tuning into how you feel, not just how you look

When you fuel well, you can lift more, recover faster, stay focused longer and enjoy life.( I think we all need to remember that life goes beyond the gym.)

Let’s Redefine What Fitness Looks Like

If your “fit life” has started to feel like a food obsession, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re ready for a better approach.

I work with active people (athletes, dancers, lifters, and weekend warriors, etc.) all who want to perform well and live well, without extremes. If that sounds like you, let’s talk.

Because fitness should never mean fighting your body. It should mean fueling it, respecting it, and thriving in it.