The Compassionate Body Center

Home
United States
San Francisco, CA
The Compassionate Body Center

Resources for healing relationships with food and body image issues. Sick of the dieting roller coaster? Wanting a friendlier relationship with your body?

Hoping to make peace with food? This page will explore therapeutic yoga and Mindful Self-Compassion for those struggling with eating issues. All sizes, shapes, ages, and genders welcome. No previous yoga or meditation experience needed. This is for you. . . even if you hate to exercise. Katherine Dittmann, M.S., R.D., holds a Masters Degree in Nutrition, is a Registered Dietitian/ Nutirionist, and

is a certified yoga instructor. She is authorized to teach the Mindful Self-Compassion protocol as set forth by Drs. Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer. She has worked the spectrum of eating disorders treatment; her approaches include intuitive eating, mindfulness, and yoga philosophy to help clients
explore relationships with food.

05/27/2026

Breakfast: The Original Life Hack

Somewhere along the line, breakfast got turned into either a moral achievement (“Look at me and my chia pudding!”) or a suspicious activity (“Actually, I’m intermittent fasting.”).

Meanwhile, some of us are out here trying to answer emails, commute, attend meetings, regulate emotions, and remember passwords on half a coffee and pure adrenaline.

Respectfully: this may not be the optimal setup.

One of the most underrated life upgrades is simply… eating breakfast. Not a perfect breakfast. Not a photogenic breakfast. Just *food in the morning.*

People are often shocked by what starts happening when they consistently eat enough earlier in the day:

✨ Less intense evening hunger
✨ Fewer “why am I standing in front of the pantry eating dry cereal?” moments
✨ Better focus
✨ More stable energy
✨ Less irritability toward innocent coworkers and loved ones
✨ The strange realization that maybe the “lack of willpower” was actually just being underfueled

Your brain, muscles, hormones, and nervous system are not tiny independent startups competing for resources. They are part of one very needy organization that runs better when someone remembers to provide snacks.

And despite wellness culture’s ongoing identity crisis about breakfast, research continues to suggest that eating in alignment with our circadian rhythms — including getting carbohydrates, protein, and fiber earlier in the day — may support mood, energy, appetite regulation, and overall wellbeing.

So this is your gentle reminder that breakfast does not need to be earned.

~ Toast counts.
~ Frozen waffles count.
~ A latte and banana are a start.
~ Leftover pasta at 9 AM? Honestly, visionary.

05/26/2026

✨ Intuitive Eating Tips

Principle 5: Feel Your Fullness

Use a Hunger-Fullness Scale 📏🔢

A simple 1–10 rating before and after meals (1 = ravenous, 10 = uncomfortably stuffed) can be surprisingly revealing. Over time, these quick check-ins help you hone in on the moment you move from hungry to pleasantly satisfied—no external rules required.

05/25/2026

🧠 Cognitive Distortions: What They Are and How They Mess With Your Head 😵‍💫

We all have those sneaky, distorted thoughts that twist reality and feed into negative patterns. Cognitive distortions are basically thought traps—mental shortcuts that don’t tell the full story.

05/22/2026

I know breakfastless behavior when I see it. 😅☕️

Look, fed is best and not everyone wakes up ready for a full brunch spread at 7am. But research does suggest our bodies tend to handle carbs, protein, and fiber especially well earlier in the day, in sync with our circadian rhythms.

A balanced breakfast can help with:
⚡ Energy and focus
🧠 Mood and concentration
🍽️ More stable hunger cues later on

So maybe breakfast is the most important meal… or at least the meal most likely to prevent you from rage-texting by 11am. 💜🥣

05/21/2026

❤️‍🩹 Self-compassion phrases are like little reminders of kindness we offer ourselves when we need a moment of support or comfort. When you're feeling emotional pain or discomfort, pause and gently ask yourself, "What words do I need to hear right now, spoken just for me?" 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

05/20/2026

💪 Take the effort out of eating

So here’s a slightly subversive thought for today: what if you worked a little less… at eating?

In Buddhism, there’s an idea called non-striving. It means loosening the constant pressure to fix things, improve things, or get everything exactly right.

If food has been hard, you probably know how much effort can go into it. The planning, the second-guessing, the negotiations in your head. You try to make the “right” choice and to feel a certain way about it.

It can get exhausting.

Non-striving just means dialing back the effort a bit and taking some of the work out of it.

We resist the urge to optimize everything.
Or make every choice the “healthiest” or most “bang for your buck.”

In reality, it’s still just food.

You make the “good enough” choices. You eat what’s convenient when you need to. You shrug your shoulders if you didn’t get exactly what you wanted and say, “Oh well, better luck next time.”

You still take care of yourself while experimenting with taking your foot off the gas a bit.

Let a meal be a meal.
Let your body have its say without immediately jumping in to correct it.

So today you might ask: where could I make this just a little easier?

05/19/2026

✨ Intuitive Eating Tips

Principle 5: Feel Your Fullness

Remove Distractions 📵👀

Scrolling on your phone or watching TV can drown out the soft signals of fullness. Try dedicating even a minute or two to eat without outside stimulation. When you focus on each bite’s taste and texture, you’ll find it easier to recognize exactly when you’ve had enough.

05/15/2026

'Intermittent fasting works great for me,’ says the person one inconvenience away from a complete emotional collapse before lunch. 😅🥤

To be fair, intermittent fasting does work well for some people. But not everyone feels good with a shortened eating window.

Signs it might not be working for you:
⚡ Extra irritability (“hangry” is real)
🍕 Overeating later in the day
🧠 Trouble focusing or low energy
🍪 Constant food thoughts and preoccupation

If your eating pattern is making you miserable, distracted, or obsessed with food, it’s okay to question whether it’s truly helping. 💜

05/13/2026

👯‍♀️ It’s not you, it’s your inner committee
You can trust yourself with food

Here's what we mean when we say, “I don’t trust myself” and how it blocks your emerging Intuitive Eater.

Do you find yourself thinking the following?

“I don’t trust myself to remember to eat.”
“I don’t trust myself to stop when the food tastes good, even if I’m full.”
“I don’t trust myself to make good food choices.”
These are things I hear all the time.

From a parts-based perspective, the idea that our psyche is made up of different “parts,” alongside a grounded, wise, and compassionate core (often called Self), this lack of trust signals internal conflict.

It’s the sense that one part of you might take over in certain moments and act in ways that other parts don’t agree with.

Take this one: “I don’t trust myself to make good food choices.”

There may be:

A part that knows the ins and outs of nutrition and urges you to make the “right” choice. (In Intuitive Eating, this is the Nutrition Informant.)

A part that carries rigid rules about “good” and “bad” foods—along with the shame or virtue assigned to each. (The Food Police.)

A part that pushes back against restriction, wanting freedom, pleasure, or even rebellion. (The Diet Rebel.)

And often, there are more.

No wonder it feels chaotic. These parts don’t trust each other, so of course it feels like you can’t trust yourself.

But what if the goal isn’t to eliminate these parts?

What if it’s to understand them?

The way through takes some willingness and curiosity.

We begin by getting to know each part:

How did it develop?

What is its job?

What is it afraid would happen if it didn’t do that job?

And alongside that, we strengthen your access to Self, the part of you that is caring and capable of holding all of these inner voices with clarity and compassion.

When Self is leading, the system relaxes.

~ Eating becomes less of a battleground and more of a conversation.
~ Choices feel less charged.
~ Trust begins to grow

Your parts may not always agree, but at least they’ll feel heard.

And the best part is, they won’t have to work so hard anymore.

Yes, it takes time.

But eventually, instead of “I don’t trust myself,” you may find yourself saying:

“I trust myself to take care of myself.”

Address

San Francisco, CA

Website

http://www.thecompassionatebodycenter.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Compassionate Body Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to The Compassionate Body Center:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in San Francisco?