We practice a non-diet approach at Nutritional Freedom. For anyone who’s been dieting or attempting unsustainable “lifestyle changes” for years, our approach to health is a true game changer. But we understand that even when you know your current approach isn’t working for you and hasn’t been working for you, it can be seriously scary to try something new. “Better the devil you know” is the idea here, even if it’s not ultimately serving you.
One of the big fears we hear from women who are interested in our work is that they’re scared of losing control. The conversations usually go something like this…
This is normally how diets (or those sneaky “lifestyle changes” parading around as diets go:
You read the book or learn the rules and feel the relief of control. For many, the black and white nature of diets provides a sense of calm. “If I just do X and avoid Y and Z, I’ll be set.”
Following the rules goes well for the first few days, maybe even the first few weeks…
And then over time, you find yourself obsessing over Y and Z. Let’s say Y = gluten and Z = added sugar. At first, you try to quell the cravings with “healthier” alternatives.
Your brain tells you it wants a scoop of rocky road, so you give it a blend of protein powder, ice, and almond milk.
You go on a coffee date with a friend and instead of fully enjoying the conversation, you keep staring at the croissant she’s nibbling on. (“Ugh she’s so lucky she can eat like that.”)
And then, one day…
Maybe you had a crappy week at work.
Or maybe you got in a fight with your spouse.
Or maybe you just get too hungry between meals.
Whatever the circumstance, you reach a point where you just can’t take it anymore.
You lose control and end up eating nearly an entire tube of Nestlé cookie dough while watching Bravo.
And since that happened. Since you already broke the rules and will, of course, be starting over on Monday, you spend every moment between now and then eating all of the things.
By the time Sunday evening rolls around, your feelings of guilt and discomfort are assuaged by that familiar (and false) feeling of control going into the next week.
Rinse and repeat.
So if your attempts at control through the food rules of diets or the rigid frameworks of “lifestyle changes” end up this way:
- You’re thinking about food all. the. freaking. time.
- You find yourself declining or feeling anxiety around social situations that may put you in the vicinity of “off limits” foods
- You’re consistently overeating the “healthy hack” version of the foods you actually want.
- You ultimately end up bingeing until the guilt sets in, at which point you “get back on the wagon.”
Then who’s really in control, you or the food?
Control doesn’t have a place in our non-diet approach because it’s simply not necessary. To learn more and get started on your journey, join our free mini course: The 3 Keys to Never Diet Again.
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