How to stop yo-yo dieting
Maybe you’ve embarked on a fitness journey once or twice before.
Maybe you were super successful which is awesome, but maybe you found that no matter how hard you tried to stay “disciplined” you were still tempted with all the “bad foods” you told yourself you’d stop eating.
Today I hope you walk away with two things
the knowledge that food isnt “good” or “bad” but more of a spectrum of things to eat. Some frequently, some every once in a while and some that are in the middle.
Understanding your surroundings and if they are in line with your goals or no. Surroundings have a very big impact on whether you comply with something or not. This includes the things you keep in your house, the company you keep, your work environment etc.
If you are willing to be more open-minded about those two things above, I know you will have more success than you have had in the past,
and food will no longer be this thing of either restriction or IDGAF attitude.
Instead a life of balance + the ability to adjust your surroundings to make yourself happy.
Whatever your goals may be your nutrition is a factor, so let’s dive in and see what we are working with.
First and foremost :
Food isnt “good” or “bad”
When taking my Precision Nutrition Certification I realized they were the real deal when I saw just how much they preached and taught a life full of balance rather than this life of restriction which you see so commonly on the internet. People are always saying, If you want to get in shape well then you cant eat, insert a list of 100 foods that you know and love. The even crazier part is we will usually listen because whatever we are trying to achieve is so important we start off with this “I’ll do anything attitude”.
The problem is, 3 weeks in and you haven’t had any of your favorite foods, then you get invited to a party and guess what’s there???
Cookies, cakes, pizza, etc and we let loose because “I’ve been good for 3 weeks”. The cycle goes, we restrict, we overindulge, we become angry with ourselves and those bad foods, we restrict even more to make up for “what we just did” and then we usually throw our hands in the air frustrated with the time things are taking and just end up back at square one.
Precision Nutrition did such an amazing job breaking down the food spectrum, so if what I described sounds like something you have done in the past you are going to want to click and give this infographic a looksie here. You will have to enter your email address to download the image to your computer, but totally worth it and such a great reference.
Now onto bullet point #2, your surroundings.
Are your cabinets filled with all your trigger foods?
These being the foods you grab when you are stressed, hungry, and need something quick to snack on so “ill just eat this bag of cookies, or whatever is in the snack drawer. “
Are your weekends filled with 3 different events or hangouts all based around a night out of eating and drinking?
Your social calendar and what you keep readily available are going to be a big influence on rebuilding new healthier habits. Not to say you can never keep cookies in the house, but the more of that stuff you do have easily accessible the more likely you are to go and grab it.
If you are serious about making some changes here, let’s start with this
Kitchen cleanout, if you don’t want to rid your kitchen of all the trigger foods at least put them somewhere annoying to get to.
A super high up cabinet, in the pantry in the other room. You get the idea
Can you find some substitutes that are similar in taste but maybe a little bit more nutritious. Meaning maybe they have a small number of proteins, carbs, and fats. So like a granola bar OR something a little bit more substantial RX bar, perfect bar, protein bar etc.
Secondly, take a look at your weekends, are there some upcoming events that maybe you can respectfully decline, you don’t have to say yes and do everything you get invited to. Or if that is not the case then maybe make an alternate solution for some other type of activity to do that isn't going out to eat. Cook at home, go for a hike/walk etc.
Living a more healthy and active lifestyle does require effort, but it doesn’t have to be this life of constant restriction and low-calorie eating. Nor does it have to be never going out to eat and enjoying yourself.
It is all about balance.
If you are still struggling with some of these things let’s talk. My signature program will help you develop lifelong habits and skills, helping you feel more confident when you head into the grocery store and it’s ready to stock the house up again. No more asking what the heck do I even buy???
Or maybe it is the confidence to go out to eat with friends and understand some easy substitutions and options that will be more in line with your goals.
Get ready to be able to go out to eat with friends and still stay on track.
I am here to teach you the necessary skills to be in control of your nutrition without being on and off these crazy diets all the time.
Book your complimentary consultation here
Ashley