Every time you read a magazine cover, watch television or hang out with your friends, you probably hear about an amazing new diet. You know the one—some new plan that is finally going to get you in those “skinny pants” you have hiding in the back of your closet…
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But let me ask you a few questions:
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- When was the last time you were able to wear those “skinny pants?”
- If you were able to fit in them, how long were you able to wear them? A month, a season, a year?
- Was the weight loss sustainable?
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There’s a high likelihood that you are like most people, and you are right back into your “fat pants.” And maybe you’re asking yourself,
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Why does this always happen to me?
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Well. You’re not alone.
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Most people find themselves in this position time and time again—constantly rotating from one diet to the next, looking for that Holy Grail of a plan to get you lasting results.
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The problem is, diets do not work. Seriously.
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Diets involve restricting and cutting something from your current eating habits or creating arbitrary rules around your food choices. Restrictions and rules set us up for failure because, deep down, we are all rebels. The food that is restricted is the one you are craving the most. I have fallen into this trap before. I’ve declared a particular food as bad, and hours later found myself on the couch sick to my stomach and riddled with guilt from the pint of Ben and Jerry’s I just woofed down in a matter of minutes. And it’s a vicious cycle—restricting, binging, guilt, restricting, binging, guilt, restricting… This cycle often leads to feelings of failure as well as greater levels of anxiety, depression, and reduced self-esteem.
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What if I told you that there’s a better way?
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People want a nutritional program that fuels their life inside and outside the gym, lets them enjoy life, and, most of all, gets results and sustains them. First, we need to change our focus.
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Instead of an emphasis on the negative foods and creating rules about when, what, and how much you can eat, let’s start by focusing on the positive. Let’s concentrate on adding value to our meals. Adding value could be in the form of adding more quality foods to your meal, like colorful fruits or vegetables, or it could be the act of slowing down and enjoying your food.
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A simple way for food to add value to your life is to think about your values and priorities? Once you get those figured out, what action could you make a habit that will benefit your values and priorities? After all, it’s just food. Food doesn’t have a moral compass, it just exists. Food has a sole purpose of fueling our lives, and could easily make it better (or worse).
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Is food making your life better or has it been a focus of negativity?