I see this issue on a regular basis. Monday to Friday is filled with lean protein and veggies. Not a single tasty snack will touch your lips, as you are a mental fortress. Friday comes and the inevitable takeaway gets ordered after a tough week at work, and it is bloody delicious. After being dragged round the shops on a Saturday, you feel like you deserve a beer in the evening and one drink ends in 7 drinks. When you wake up on Sunday with a slightly fuzzy head, you feel like you need a fry up. After all you have been ‘good’ all week. Monday comes round and the weekend hasn’t quite gone to plan. You jump back on the diet bandwagon and the cycle continues.
Results are limited and you are mentally exhausted from the constant frustration. Unless something changes this cycle will continue. I want to share a few tips that can hopefully change your perspective and help give you the power to break the cycle.
Note: This is not designed to help or cure any eating disorders. If you feel like you are suffering from any type of eating disorder, please seek help from your GP.
Stop ‘dieting’ and just eat food
That’s right I said it, stop fucking dieting! I hear from people that have been trying to lose the same 10 lbs for the last 2 years. The pressure of trying to lose that weight, the guilt of eating delicious food and continuing that cycle is frustrating to say the least. If you are in this situation, then maybe it is time to take a break from what you would class as ‘dieting’ and just start eating food. Stop eating the foods you feel like you should be eating and start enjoying a well balanced diet of foods you enjoy. This welcomed physiological break will give you a chance to regroup, rethink your goals and try to set an achievable, sustainable plan.
Food isn’t healthy or unhealthy
We are very quick to judge a food as healthy or unhealthy with how it is portrayed by the media, social media influencers and clever marketing teams. Unfortunately it is never that simple. All food can be justified within your diet and doesn’t have to be eaten just for its impeccable nutritional content. Food can also be eaten just because it’s tasty. Imagine that. Drop the labels associated with food and learn to control the foods you enjoy. Just eat food.
Tasty foods shouldn’t only be consumed at the weekends, try and incorporate little bits throughout the week to stop the need for that massive blow out at the weekend.
You can’t fuck it up
How often do things run smoothly for a continuous 3 month period? Never! Life gets in the way every time. Illness, children, family problems, days out or work stresses are all determined to ruin our progress and put a spanner in the works. For most people this is enough to derail your progress and throw in the towel. “I’ll start again on Monday” is the most well used phrase after a Friday takeaway.
Remember that you cant fuck this up. Things get in the way, progress may not be as fast as you like and it will not always be easy, but you cant fuck it up as long as you just keep going. Try to change your perspective on these little bumps in the road. Instead of putting it on hold until life is plain sailing again, try to push through it and make small adjustments to suit your lifestyle.
Don’t let the scales change the plan
The scales are the most inaccurate way to measure progress. They are effected heavily by salt, carbs and water content of the body. Guess what foods we tend to eat more of at the weekend? Salty carby foods that will have the biggest impact on weight (not body fat). A lot of people weigh themselves on the Monday morning and feel the need to make massive restrictions due to an increase in weight. This fuels the binge – restrict cycle further and continues to enforce this negative behaviour towards weight fluctuations. If the scales have an impact on the way you feel or act then stop weighing yourself. There are loads of other ways to measure progress such as measurements, progress photos or physical accomplishments.
Summary
The sooner you can start taking steps to making your food more enjoyable and less guilty, the sooner you can enjoy life with one less stress. Your diet doesn’t have to be a pendulum of ‘good vs. bad’ foods. It’s just food, don’t let it control you.
If you need a bit of a nudge to implement some of these steps then get in touch today. I can either help you with one to one personal training or online coaching. Let’s set a plan together and start working towards your goals.
The brains, brawn and beauty of Dackattack (basically it’s just me). A personal trainer with a private gym in Norwich, dedicated to giving out simple, actionable advice that will give you outstanding results.
