“What’s the best diet for losing this flabby belly?”
Great question.
I get asked versions of this question a lot… As you can imagine.
And I know that when women ask me this, they’re looking for a prescriptive answer…
“Eat this,” or “Avoid that,” or “Just follow the _______ diet.”
Want to know the truth?
Almost ALL DIETS can help you lose weight and release fat.
Even belly fat.
So, Keto, clean, Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, Mediterranean, flexitarian, Weight Watchers,…
They can all lead to the fat loss you’re looking for.
But…
DIETS, with the goal of weight loss, are usually temporary.
So, the weight loss is usually temporary too.
Some DIETS are temporary because they involve restriction and deprivation.
Meaning, they require a lot of WILL POWER to get through.
And your WILL POWER is a limited resource.
Some DIETS are temporary because they involve measuring or counting.
Like weighing food, measuring portions, counting calories, macros, and points.
That’s a lot of work, and it doesn’t usually last.
And all DIETS involve a lot of thinking and worrying about food.
To carry out a diet, you end up thinking MORE about food.
Like what you CAN eat and what you CAN’T eat.
And worrying you won’t be able to do it.
And dreaming about the foods you miss.
Being on a DIET can make food seem dangerous, and scary.
But food is just food.
DIETS offer HOPE
I believe the reason that DIETS still thrive in our society is because they offer HOPE.
“If I just do this _______________, then I will lose _____________.”
Sounds great!
Sign me up!
And, even though so many of us have been burned by DIETS that didn’t work out…
We still hold onto the HOPE that the next one will be the answer to all our problems.
So, DIETING persists.
And over years of trying various diets, DIETING becomes a mindset.
The DIETING MINDSET is seeing food through the lens of weight loss.
Meaning when you see food, you see it in terms of calories, or good/bad, or how many points it will cost…
But you know food is more than just that.
Logically.
Emotionally, well, that’s different.
FOOD offers NOURISHMENT and PLEASURE
The way I see it, on a basic level, food provides us with two important things:
Nourishment and pleasure.
Nourishment we know.
But pleasure is also important because it’s the reason that we, as humans, have hunted, gathered, and foraged.
The tastes, textures, smells, and colors of food, actually trigger our pleasure hormones.
And so that’s why we go out and find it.
Pleasure ensures that our species will carry on.
But…
With such easy access to food now, and with companies making processed foods so “palatable”, we have become pleasure slaves.
We want to feel more pleasure, and less unpleasantness.
We want to feel good almost all the time.
So, we eat.
And then, when we go on a DIET, we worry that we won’t get the pleasure we’re used to.
It feels like a struggle.
Like restriction, deprivation, and gritting teeth.
And we forget the reason WHY we’re on the DIET in the first place.
So, we fall off the wagon.
Give in to temptation.
And grab the pleasure hit.
Only to feel deep unpleasantness at our failure to stick with it.
So, we seek out more pleasure.
More food.
And the cycle continues.
Until the next DIET comes along.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Leave the DIET MINDSET behind
I don’t believe in DIETS.
At least not in one specific DIET, or adhering to any DIET to the letter.
I’m not saying there aren’t good DIETS out there, because there are.
And some of my clients choose to follow a DIET, and that’s ok.
But it’s the DIET MINDSET that needs to change.
And you change your mindset by thinking and doing things in a different way.
By not making food just about calories, carbs, and points.
And instead choosing to see it as nourishment and pleasure.
Here are my three ideas on how to accomplish that:
- Stop eating when you’re not hungry
- Enjoy all the foods you choose to eat
- Know thyself
1. Stop eating when you’re not hungry
Simple, right?
But not always easy.
It requires tuning into how you feel physically, and tuning out your emotions.
It’s about being aware.
Aware of when you’re hungry, aware of when you’re no longer hungry.
And stopping when you get to “no longer hungry.”
Even if it smells good, tastes good, feels good.
Stop when you’re no longer hungry.
2. Enjoy ALL the foods you choose to eat
Everything you eat is your choice.
Whether you thought about it or not before putting it into your mouth.
You made a choice.
So, if you’re eating it, then at least enjoy it.
Be present with your food.
Savor it, delight in it, lick your fingers.
And don’t allow guilt to kill your joy.
If you can’t eat it with joy, then don’t eat it.
3. Know thyself
Don’t let yourself be surprised by food.
You know yourself.
So, like a good girl scout, be prepared.
Just like you’d never go to work without pants on (unless, maybe, if work is online,) never walk into any food situation without covering your ass.
Grocery store? Before you walk in, know what you’re buying, and stick to the list.
Restaurant? Choose what you’re going to order before you get there.
Food in the breakroom? Bring your own snacks, or decide what you’ll choose ahead of time.
Mom’s place for supper? Ask her what she’s serving, choose how much you’ll have, and prepare to say “that’s enough for me, thanks,” when you’re done.
By now, at this time in your life, you know yourself.
Don’t pretend to be caught off guard.
You know.
So, be onto yourself.
Notice rationalizations and excuses creeping in.
You’re only ever fooling yourself.
So, always be at least one step ahead.
Do you have a DIET MINDSET?
Do you feel bad about eating certain foods?
Or are you mentally calculating points, calories, and carbs each time you eat?
Then you might have a diet mindset.
The good news is, mindset isn’t a fixed thing.
So, first, have compassion for yourself.
We’ve learned the diet mindset over decades of seeing our moms, sisters, friends, and even our mom’s sister’s friends diet.
Diets and dieting products are all over the media.
And the diet industry brought in over $250 Billion US in 2020, and it’s growing exponentially.
So, love yourself right now.
You are doing your best.
You are good.
But you CAN turn things around.
You can start enjoying food instead of using food.
And you don’t have to be on a DIET to release belly fat or lose weight.
It’s more than possible.
I see women do it every day.
Are you ready?
Keep moving forward,
Debbie
P.S. Are you ready to let go of dieting? Let’s talk about it. You can always email me, or book a free consult with me, right here: https://calendly.com/debbie-harbec-coaching/free-consultation