Give me food, $%^&-it!
Picture your favorite meal and let your mind really dwell on it. It could be pizza, steak, or anything from the takeout Chinese place around the corner. Are you salivating yet? Has it pushed everything else out of your mind? Do you want to inhale it in one breath once it’s in front of you?
The thing that most people with weight loss issues have in common is this frantic focus on anything that has to do with food, all day long. Not only are they concentrated on what kind of food to eat, getting to the food, what the food tastes like, and the pleasurably full sensation after eating, but they’re also honed in on what their body looks like compared to others, as well as feelings of guilt and shame after overeating.
Whew! All this focus on food can make you loose your appetite–NOT!
…and that’s why fad diets make no sense
So tell me this: If most weight-loss issues are about an obsession with food and everything surrounding it, why would you try to treat it with something that requires you to obsess more about it, i.e. fad dieting? Fad dieting is nothing more than another obsession that increases your focus on food by having you fixate on your weight, dwell on every calorie you put in your body, completely eliminate foods and food groups, and flagellate yourself for slip-ups. Each meal in your diet is like ingesting more neurosis instead of actual food.
Instead, try the No-Diet Diet
The No-Diet Diet is an anti-obsession diet that is about weight loss in a more natural way. Of course, before making any changes in your diet, educate yourself and speak with your doctor. Check out how you can make the No-Diet Diet i work for you:
Keep weight loss off the table…
…when you’re eating, that is. Once you’ve ordered or cooked a meal, enjoy! Leave the thoughts of calories, guilt and body image off the table. Learn to savor your food without the seasoning of obsession.
Remember, you can’t get away from: increased calories = increased weight gain
There’s a whole industry built around trying to get away from this simple fact. The more you eat, the more you will gain. Learn to cut down portion size by taking home leftovers and cooking meals with the portion you need to eat for that night–then you can’t be tempted into going back for seconds.
Have a general awareness of calories
Don’t turn dieting into an obsession over every little calorie you ingest, but it is a good idea to learn the general amount of calories in the foods you eat. For instance, it’s helpful to know that McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 740 calories, but the McChicken sandwich has 360. You can find this info. on many restaurant websites.
Learn when you’re hungry
The food obsession takes over so strongly that you may not even know when you’re truly hungry anymore. Pay closer attention to the cues your body is giving you. When you feel hungry go for a light snack so that you don’t over indulge on main meals.
Don’t set the bathing suit goal
Don’t set a goal like trying to get into a bikini or a pair of jeans. This is an ingredient of crash dieting, not ongoing weight loss and stability. And you're sending yourself the message, “I’m ugly if I don’t do this.”
Don’t deny yourself a craving
If I keep telling you to stop thinking of pink elephants, you’re going to keep thinking of pink elephants. If you have a craving for something, have a small portion of it.
Know the key is moderation
The antithesis to obsession is moderation. Practice it!
Caroline Presno, Ed.D., P.C.C. is a psychotherapist, doctor of education, and author of Profiling Your Date: A Smart Woman's Guide to Evaluating a Man. Find her online at profilingyourdate.com.