If I put a package of Oreos in front of you right now, what would happen?

For many people, the answer comes quickly. “I’d eat way too many” or maybe “I’d lose control.” Then likely followed by something like, “That’s exactly why intuitive eating would never work for me.” 

If you’ve ever had thoughts like these, you’re not alone. In fact, one of the biggest reasons people hesitate to embrace intuitive eating is because they’re convinced they can’t be trusted around certain foods.

Whether it’s Oreos or Halloween candy, you’ve likely collected years of evidence that seem to prove your point. But…what if you’re looking at the wrong evidence? 

Today, we’re diving headfirst into the stories we tell ourselves about food, what the real root of the problem is, and how to trust yourself around food again.

The Story You’re Telling Yourself

When people say they can’t be trusted around food, they’re usually basing that conclusion on past experiences, like the time they ate a half a bag of chips or an entire sleeve of cookies.

On the surface, it seems logical: this behavior happened, so the evidence is clear, right?

But there’s a major flaw in the argument. You’re looking at the behavior without looking at the context. In other words, you’re focusing on what happened without examining why it happened.

That why is the important part. 

Before deciding that you’re incapable of eating Oreos normally, it’s important to ask a few questions.

• How hungry were you?
• How much had you eaten earlier in the day?
• How many food rules were you carrying around?
• How much guilt was attached to eating the Oreos in the first place?
• How long had you been trying not to eat them?

Those details matter. A lot. Because behavior doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

Restriction Changes Everything

Imagine holding your breath underwater. At first, it’s not too bad, but eventually, your body reaches a point where it needs air. And when you finally come up for oxygen, you don’t take a calm, casual breath. You gasp because your body has been deprived.

Food works in a similar way. When you’ve been restricting food physically or mentally, your body and brain respond.

Sometimes that restriction is obvious, like going on a diet, counting calories, avoiding certain foods, or even trying to eat as little as possible. 

Other times, the restriction is more subtle: telling yourself you should “be good,” making a rule to not have dessert during the week, or constantly negotiating whether you’re allowed to eat something. Even if you’re technically eating enough food, mental restriction can still create a sense of deprivation.

That deprivation changes the way your brain responds.

The Oreo Was Never the Problem

This may sound surprising, but Oreos aren’t actually that powerful. The same is true for chips, chocolate, ice cream, and every other food you’ve placed on a pedestal.

The issue is what intuitive eating experts often call the “charm” of the food.

Basically, when a food becomes forbidden, it becomes emotionally charged. A “charmed” food gains power, becoming exciting and scarce. And scarcity creates obsession.

Here’s another way to look at it. Think about a food you genuinely have unconditional permission to eat, like apples. You probably don’t spend your entire day fantasizing about biting into a bright red, crunchy apple, and you definitely don’t swear you’ll never eat it again afterwards.

Why? Because it doesn’t have charm. Your brain knows it’s available whenever you want it. There’s no urgency or scarcity. The food feels neutral. 

That’s the goal.

Not avoiding Oreos (or whatever food feels charmed for you) forever, but making Oreos feel as emotionally neutral as pretzels.

Why More Restriction Makes Things Worse

When people feel out of control around food, their instinct is usually to tighten the rules. They ban all the cookies, chips, or desserts, and swear they’ll start over Monday with more discipline this time. 

But this approach often backfires because every new rule reinforces the idea that that food is dangerous…and suddenly, it looks a lot more appealing.

It’s like telling yourself not to think about a pink elephant. The harder you try not to think about it, the more impossible it becomes. The same thing happens with food.

Restriction creates obsession. Then the obsession gets mistaken for evidence that you need more restriction, creating a vicious, endless cycle.

Why the Path Forward Requires Eating the Oreos

If restriction is the problem and avoiding the food doesn’t work, what’s the solution? 

Learning to coexist with it with intuitive eating. 

That doesn’t mean eating Oreos all day or throwing all structure out the window. It means building trust. And the only way to build that trust is through exposure. 

Think about learning to swim. You become comfortable by spending time in the water, not avoiding it. And yes, at first, it’s super awkward, maybe even scary. But over time, your confidence grows. 

Food works the same way.

You become comfortable around Oreos by learning that you can have them without needing to eat them all, not avoiding them for the next ten years.

Why Intuitive Eating Often Looks Worse Before It Looks Better

One of the biggest reasons people quit intuitive eating is that for a while, it looks like you’re on a downhill slide. Why? Because you’ve started allowing yourself to eat those forbidden foods. And often, you’re eating more of them than diet culture thinks you should. 

Fear and panic skyrocket. You think you’ve made a terrible mistake, and that intuitive eating just doesn’t work for you.

The truth is what you’re experiencing is a normal part of the process.

When you’ve spent years restricting a food, it makes sense that your interest in it will initially increase once it’s available. Your brain is testing the waters, trying to determine whether access is truly permanent this time.

I won’t lie: This phase can feel messy. You might eat more Oreos than you expected or think about them more often. It feels like you’re moving backwards, but you’re not. It just means you’re in the messy middle.

Many people mistake this phase for the final outcome, but that’s rarely how the process unfolds. Given enough time, consistency, and permission, most people find that the novelty, the urgency, the obsession all fade. And the food becomes just food.

The Real Goal Isn’t Eating Fewer Oreos

Many beginners on their intuitive eating journey think that the goal is to learn how to stop at two Oreos. But really, the goal is peace and neutrality around all foods, not just charmed ones.

Because when food loses its charm, something incredible happens. You stop feeling guilty every time you eat something enjoyable or planning your next diet before you’ve even finished your current meal. You don’t need constant food rules to feel safe or bargain with yourself to have an Oreo or two.

The easiest way to start this shift is to stop focusing on how to stop eating Oreos and start asking yourself “Do I actually want Oreos right now?”

That’s a completely different relationship with food. The deciding factor? Trusting your body instead of fear.

Stop Using Your Current Behavior as Evidence of Your Future

One of the most important things I want you to remember is this: The version of you who currently feels out of control around Oreos is not the final version of you.

Your current behavior is happening within a specific context shaped by years of dieting, restriction, and food rules. 

So of course your relationship with food feels complicated. Of course Oreos still have power.

That doesn’t mean they’ll always have power. It simply means there’s still healing to do.

Many people assume their current struggles are permanent, but hear me when I say this: They’re not. It’s simply a snapshot of where you are right now on your journey. 

What If You Could Become Completely Neutral Around Oreos?

Imagine opening your pantry and seeing Oreos. You know they’re there and that you can have them whenever you want. And because of that, you don’t spend all day thinking about them.

Sometimes you eat them, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes a midday Oreo sounds like the perfect treat, sometimes you want something else. 

There’s no drama or guilt, no obsession or internal debate.

That’s what food freedom looks like.

Food freedom has nothing to do with perfect eating or proving your willpower. No, it’s all about peace. And ironically, peace is often what allows you to make choices that truly align with your body’s needs.

If you’re currently using your inability to stop after one row of Oreos as evidence that intuitive eating doesn’t work, consider the possibility that you’re drawing conclusions too soon.

The behavior you’re experiencing right now doesn’t mean you’re broken. It’s often proof that you’ve been stuck in a cycle of restriction. And the way out is learning to trust yourself again, not more rules.

Because becoming someone who’s completely chill around Oreos isn’t about resisting them harder. It’s about removing the charm they’ve held over you for years…and that’s exactly what intuitive eating can help you do.

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