Why are you always hungry as soon as you say “I’m going on a diet”? Well, maybe because you said, “I’m going on a diet”. The worst thing about dieting is, um, DIETING! As soon as you say that 4 letter word out loud or even in your head, your inner, happy self immediately goes into a bit of panic, depression, and stress mode. That horrible little word brings up memories for most people of deprivation, hunger, or the dreaded hanger (hungry and angry because you are so hungry), and failure because that is what has typically happened in the past. Diet is a 4 letter word when it is used as a verb. Diet is not a verb! It should only be used when referring to a nutrition plan – my diet includes mostly plants, lean proteins, tons of fiber, and delicious, nutritious foods! See, much better!
Weight loss has so much to do with mindset and the language we use. When we use words that cause us stress, like diet (verb form) we create an immediate reaction that can actually help us gain weight! Yes, you think about losing weight which is a positive thing, but you also think about all of the other things you will lose – fun delicious food, happy hour with friends, a glass of wine here and there. As soon as your brain thinks about all of those wonderful things you are going to lose, you are likely to fail. Instead, think about all of the things you will gain. Think about how much more energy you will have, how many new and exciting recipes you can try, how powerful and successful you will feel. Think about how you will be teaching your family or even friends how great feeling healthy and fit really feels. In other words, think about how much you will gain, you will gain, you will gain!
When you start your weight loss plan, here are a few tips to help you stay on track.
- Don’t say “I’m going on a diet”. OK, I’m repeating myself – so follow this piece of advice, please!!
- Drink a lot of water – at least 8 glasses per day. Try to only drink water to quench your thirst for 3-5 days to start. If you can do that for 5 days, you can do it for 10, 20…you get the picture. Now, I’m not talking about giving up coffee or tea, but it does include giving up your mocha latte (400 calories). I am talking about giving up soda, juice, or any sugary drinks. Sugary drinks are one of the leading causes of obesity so do your best to give them up – for good!
- Add lean protein and fiber to every meal. Eggs in the morning with red, orange, and yellow peppers and some black beans, chicken breast on a huge salad with leafy greens (not iceberg lettuce) for lunch, grilled salmon with roasted vegetables for dinner, and a few healthy snacks like fruit, nuts, or yogurt during the day. Fiber and protein will help you feel full and stay full longer. You definitely don’t want to feel hungry 1 hour after you have eaten a meal!
- Make sure you are getting enough food. Starving yourself all day will never work long-term. Eating throughout the day will help you avoid that hangry feeling that can cause a binge that makes you feel like a failure. Eating healthy foods throughout the day will help you realize that staying on track is not difficult.
- Give yourself a few treats when you want them so you don’t start feeling completely deprived. However, if you feel like you might be addicted to sugar (more about that in another blog post) then you might need to try to cut out sugary snacks for a while. Try eating fruit if you can’t eat just one Hersey Kiss without bingeing on the entire bag! If you feel like sugar gives you the bliss factor, you need to train your mind and body to find the bliss factor in other foods like a beautiful, healthy smoothie or a large bowl of delicious, fresh fruit. Treats don’t always have to be bad for you – change your mindset about how a “treat” actually looks, tastes, and feels. Our brain remembers what foods make us feel good, so you’ll have to retrain your brain a bit but it will work – you’re going to have to trust me here!
There are so many tips to help you succeed, so keep reading the blog! Success is right around the corner for you and you can do it. Just don’t start your weight loss plan saying “I’m going on a diet”.