If you shouldn't go on a 'diet', then what should you do?

 You all know how much I hate diets and will never, ever, ever go on one or  tell anyone to go on one. 

A lot of people ask me what they should be doing instead because all they want to do is eat the food that we're told is 'bad'.

When I tell you to never go on a diet, I'm not telling you to eat all the food that you deem as 'bad' or to ignore your nutrition. 

This is what I want you to do: 

1. Neutralise all foods. 

Food has no moral value. Nothing is good, nothing is bad. It is food that fuels you. 

Of course, some food is associated with social events or celebrations, some foods have been processed to give you a temporary high; some food is natural and provides you with lots of nutrients. But, ultimately, food is food and it keeps us alive. 

I want you to make peace with all foods. No food will make you gain weight, just as much as certain foods don't make you lose weight. It's about your intake and habits as a whole. 

Give yourself permission to eat all foods, in as much as you want. Okay, at first, you might eat all the food that you deem as 'bad'. But, you'll soon get bored and your body will be crying out for the food that it needs. 

 

2. Honor your hunger. 

Give yourself unconditional permission to eat, whenever, wherever, whatever. Fancy pasta for breakfast? Fill your boots. Need a second serving at lunch? Go for it. 

Your body will lern to trust you, and you will learn to trust your body. You'll build up a trust in knowing that you'll fuel your body whenever it needs it and you'll be less likely to overeat at meal times. You'll also be adequately fuelling your body throughout the day, giving it the energy that it needs. 

 

3. Get curious about your food choices - without judgement!

Are you reaching for that McDonalds because you haven't eaten enough today and you're needing a quick fire way to get lots of energy in, in a relatively small quantity of food? Are you reaching for that chocolate bar because your loving grandma used to give it to you and you're needing some comfort right now? Do you fancy some carrot sticks because you want something crunchy? 

4. Think about how the food makes you feel.

How do you feel after you've eaten each meal? Energised, sluggish, sick - food is our fuel, so we want to be feeling energised after each meal. 

 

5. Honor your nutrition.

Love your body. Your body literally carries you round and keeps you alive. I hope you love it enough to treat it with respect. Give your body the nutrients, energy and variety that it needs to be at its best. Just like a car, we need good quality, nutrient dense fuel to keep running, otherwise we might just break. 

As always, balance is key.

6. Try seeing what you can add to your meals to make them more satisfying.

Maybe some cheese, or sundried tomatoes - healthy fats are the most satiating of all macronutrients. . Maybe your soft food needs some crunch, so you can add seeds. Or your pasta needs some flavour, add some sauce. Maybe you need to bulk your meal out to make it bigger - add some veg. Something sweet? fruit. 

 

7. Listen to your cravings

Craving a bar of chocolate? Have it. Enjoy it. Move on with your day. 

We all know what happens when we ignore our cravings. We either end up 'giving in', eating 3x the amount intended and feeling guilty. Or, trying to find a 'healthy' substitute and just eating the entire kitchen because nothing satisfied the craving. 

 

I know many diets make compelling promises. It's tempting, I know. But please, please don't do it to yourself. It's so damaging to your body and mental health, it's really not worth it. 

If it's anything to steer you away, 98% of dieters gain back all the weight lost, and more. Diets are also the biggest cause of eating disorders. I'll say it again, do not do it to yourself. 

Ready to ditch dieting for good? Try this and see how you get on. 

Hint: it will change your life. 

 

 

Kate Xx 

 

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 I post regularly on here and Instagram with self-love, body positivity and recipe ideas so that you can bloom into your best self, with me.