I was on a plane this weekend and I overheard a conversation that I want to share with you:
As the pretzel snacks were being passed out, one lady behind me said “No thanks, I can’t have that, I’m doing keto.”
And the lady next to her asked “Tell me about that — what are the restrictions? What can’t you have?”
And that right there ladies and gentlemen summarizes one of the giant red flags of Diet Mentality:
What can you NOT eat? For how long? What are the restrictions?
All these negative “denial” words — restriction, can’t, no this or no that — are the hallmarks of TEMPORARY DIET.
You may lose weight with a temporary diet.
But then what?
When you can’t stand denying yourself anymore, you go back to what you used to do. You go back to “normal” after you go “off” whatever it is that you’ve been trying to “stick to.”
Are you seeing all the trigger words?
If you want to lose weight and keep it off, YOUR NORMAL IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO IMPROVE.
You don’t need a temporary diet, because those never last. (It says “temporary” right in the name!)
Weight loss doesn’t last until you change what is normal for you.
And you don’t have to deny and restrict yourself in order to do it!
Instead of making a list of all the things you CAN’T eat and focusing on all the items you’re NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE (none of us have ever done that, right?), dial in the FOUNDATIONS of healthier eating:
- Lots of plant foods – vegetables are your primary carbs, not starches and sugar.
- Protein every time you eat, to level your blood sugar and stave off cravings.
- Drink water mostly, and wean yourself off sweetened drinks.
- Plan your meals and snacks, so you’re not at the mercy of your starving brain or the vending machine.
- Delegate your treats in an intelligent, purposeful manner. You don’t have to swear off chocolate or cake 100%, but you can’t use sugar as your primary default food.
I hope this mind shift is helpful. If you make this shift, you’ll stop banging your head against the wall with diet after diet.
Let me know if you need help with something. We’re all in this together.
Your friend and Coach,
Dan
P.S. Here are some tools to help you:
Low Sugar Desserts
Vegetable Recipes
Beating Sugar Addiction For Dummies
Sugar Free Me
** And I have space for 1 or 2 new coaching clients if you need my help – just email me and let me know what’s going on with you.