Are you sick and tired of the eating-no eating-eating again cycle? You tend to eat too much, and now you want to diet so you can drop the weight. But, you like food, and you want to eat- you’re hungry! You had a bad day at work, ended a relationship, and so on. So, you start eating again. And you gain more weight, and feel unsuccessful and not-in-control. This is what’s known as you-yo dieting.
You can beat yo-yo dieting, and it starts with identifying the underlying factors that lead you to a “diet mindset”. If you’re ready to enjoy eating and never diet again, then read the 6 tips below.
1. Be truthful with yourself about what you want to eat, what you do eat, how much you exercise, and like/dislike exercise. It’s not a sin to eat or to enjoy food that’s not so healthy. It’s not a sin to hate exercise. Accept that you like what you like, and learn to be okay with that.
2. Identify unmet needs, emotional pain, or lack of fulfillment in your life. Food is a source of psychological fulfillment, and the more basic the need, the more you rely on food to fulfill that need. Do you need love, support, sex, intimacy, career happiness, or confidence? Awareness is the first step to healing.
3. Give yourself permission to be less than perfect. If you are able to eat healthy or become active 70%-80% of your week, you’re doing great. If you happen to make a slip, take note of what was happening at the time, how you were feeling, and who you were with. Then, make a plan for the next time you’re in the same situation. No “all-or-none” attitudes allowed
4. Find out what works for you. There are so many nutrition plans that work, but which one works for you? Consider your lifestyle, food preferences, other people you take care of, time, etc… What is a plan you can easily manage and enjoy? Don’t be afraid to do a little “trial-and-error”.
5. Food is a necessity, don’t fight the feeling. Appetite is natural, and fighting it actually makes hunger worse! You need food to live, but your actions, emotions, and feelings can affect how strong appetite is. If you want to learn more, read “Are You An Emotional Eater?”
6. If you need accountability, support, and guidance, invest in the services of a wellness coach, dietitian, lifestyle coach, or weight loss therapist. As I mentioned before, yo-yo dieting has an emotional, mental, and spiritual aspect to it as well.
Summary
The 6 tips above will give you a place to start if you want to beat yo-yo dieting and learn to enjoy food. You don’t have to be a prisoner to food, even the unhealthy ones. Allow yourself to develop a healthy relationship with food. Use it to live versus fulfillment and grounding.
If I can help you in any way, please feel free to contact me!
Until next time,
Pamela Brown
