The One Big Weight Loss Mistake You’re Probably Making
Diets like to make weight loss seem super complicated. They want you to think that weight loss is hard and that THEY have your golden ticket to success.
But if diets, with all their rules and restrictions, were the key to weight loss success, we’d all be effortlessly at our goal weights right now, right??
If you haven’t been able to find long-term success with dieting, it’s probably for this reason:
Restriction
Any traditional diet will demand that you grit your teeth and use willpower to get through some intense restriction.
Severely limit your calories. Avoid carbs like the plague. Better measure out that peanut butter. Egg whites only. Don’t even look at that full-fat cheese.
All those delicious foods you love and crave? You can replace them with low-carb, fat-free diet junk OR starve all day to “earn” them (and then go right back to restricting tomorrow).
We’ve all tried to lose weight this way, but it’s really painful and it doesn’t work. Before you know it, you’re face down in the pizza and ice cream because you felt SO deprived.
There’s a physiological reason for this: when you restrict calories or cut out entire food groups, your body perceives this as famine.
And your body is smart – its main job is to, you know, keep you alive.
So, when your body senses that it’s being deprived of the calories and nutrients that it NEEDS, it goes on overdrive to try to get things back to normal.
It jacks up the hormones that make you feel hungry, it decreases the hormones that make you sense fullness, it slows all metabolic activity WAY down, and it sends you allll the urges for energy-dense foods (which is why ALL you can think about is sugary, fatty treats).
Your body has no idea you’re on a diet. When you restrict calories or major food groups like carbs or fat, your body believes that you’re literally starving. And it does everything in its power to get you to eat.
When you’re extremely hungry and not getting the nourishment your body needs, it turns up food-seeking signals because it wants you to survive.
This isn’t your failure, it’s your body trying to take care of you.
It’s the failure of restrictive diets that set you up to believe you should be able to achieve something that your body resists with all its might.
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So, what’s the solution??
DON’T RESTRICT.
Instead of restricting anything at all, I encourage my clients to create a sense of abundance with food.
ALL food is allowed on my program. ALL food is encouraged.
Listening to and honoring your body’s needs is how you teach your brain that food is safe and that it won’t be restricted again.
When your body and brain sense that food is abundant rather than scarce, it makes it SO much easier to stop eating when your body signals to you that it’s satisfied.
So, instead of restricting, take some time each morning to make a quick food plan. As you do so, ask yourself these questions:
What do I really WANT to eat today? Am I dying for a slice of that incredible pizza at my favorite place? Would a scoop or two of ice cream really hit the spot? Give yourself full permission to enjoy the heck out of those things.
What would make my BODY feel good today? Where can I find balance? Pizza and ice cream are good for the soul – can I balance those out with a few choices that are good for my body, too?
Do this daily and your body will learn that ALL food is safe and allowed, which will make it so much easier not to overeat.
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If you've been trying to force yourself to lose weight on restrictive diets and you're ready for a change, let's chat.
Here’s my biggest piece of advice:
Don’t wait to get help.
Stop wasting your time, money, and precious mental energy on BS diets that CREATE more problems in your life than they solve.
I help women with a passion for food finally end the cycle of chronic dieting and lose weight with self-trust (not restriction and deprivation) so that they can fully enjoy their lives with food AND feel amazing.
I am here to help and support you, and the first step is clicking the yellow button below to get on a free Consultation with me to find out more about how coaching can help you FINALLY reach your goals.
You CAN enjoy your life with food AND feel amazing in your clothes - you just need some support. Together, we'll figure this out. Click below to start the process.
