I remember feeling resistance around starting a weight loss plan each time I decided I was finally going to lose weight again. The issue was, I didn’t want to give up my favorite foods even though I knew making changes was part of the process.
When we want to do big things, there’s going to be some discomfort especially in the beginning of the journey.
I liked a lot of healthy foods, but I loved junk food which was 50% of why I found it hard to stick with any diet, and why I hate diets in general.
What I found with a lot of diets is that you aren’t allowed any slack. Diets don’t take into account that you may have to gradually slow down on some of the foods you crave.
Some would disagree with this, but I would rather slowly back off of those foods I know won’t help me lose weight, than completely shut off everything I find appetizing.
Working the foods you really love into your weight loss plan really helps you to be successful at losing weight.
I was always okay with adding more veggies, fruit, etc., but within 2 weeks of starting my weight loss plan would be craving my trigger foods.
What were my trigger foods? Let’s just say all the foods that we’re told you cannot have if you are trying to lose weight!
How To Deal With Cravings
Sure, I know cravings are expected. However, if I were denying myself something I really craved, like say pizza for instance, I would end up having the pizza and then the wings, and the cookies…you get the picture.
Going off the rails because of feeling so deprived was how I did diets in the past. I would find myself right back to square one, but feeling worse about myself for “blowing it”.
I know now that giving in to the craving rather than fighting myself is better, at least it was for me.
When you deny yourself the foods you want most, you only think about them more. How is that going to help you move forward with losing weight?
You obsess over that food you tell yourself you can’t have. At least I did. Having the foods you crave gets it off your mind, therefore giving you a chance to evaluate your reasons for wanting lose weight in the first place.
Indulging in a food craving also allows you to look at how you’ve been going about the process of losing weight.
Yes, there should be some structure, but maybe you’re being a little too strict? I found that making small changes I could live with that were barely noticeable really works.
What I found after years of yo-yo dieting, is that I lacked the ability to trust myself to keep my word to myself.
I had 100 pounds to lose. When I devised my weight loss plan, I had to find a way to do it that I could live with – forever.
Fitting in Favorite Foods
The one thing that helped me in the very beginning was finding a way to satisfy a food craving in a controlled way.
Finding a way to have my favorite foods gave me the opportunity to test my resolve with my weight loss intention.
Learning how to include my favorites in my weight loss plan taught me how to keep my word to myself. My confidence grew, and I was no longer uncertain about my ability to follow through with my weight loss goals.
Most of us have been conditioned to think that we have to be perfect when we start a weight loss journey. This simply isn’t true.
Having food cravings is normal. If we deviate from the plan slightly, we tear ourselves down. This way of thinking is counter-intuitive.
In my opinion, there are good choices, better choices and the best choices. It’s all just food.
Lose The All Or Nothing Mindset
I was an all or nothing yo-yo dieter. When I wanted to splurge, I had to find a safe way to do it. This may not work for everyone, but it did for me.
For example, instead of getting a 10oz bag of chips and diving in, knowing I wouldn’t stop at the serving size on the package, I would buy a portion sized package.
If I was craving pizza, I would plan on getting a slice and have a salad on the side. If I didn’t want salad, I wouldn’t have it. Even if I had 2 slices of pizza, I didn’t rake myself over the coals for it.
I treated sweets the same way. Sweets are not an ideal food option, but if they can still be worked into a weight loss plan. Especially, in the beginning.
It’s all about determining what a portion is of the particular food your are craving, and then indulging guilt free.
I could not let deviating from your weight loss plan mean anything negative about my ability to be successful. This is where I think people fall short.
We have cravings, and we are human. If you are on a weight loss plan, you don’t suddenly stop having cravings.
You’re not going to stop getting hungry just because you decided to lose weight, are you? So, plan for your treat, enjoy it, and keep it moving.
If you’re always having cravings and you are always indulging yourself, that’s when you need to step back evaluate what’s going on in your life.
Are you stressed out? Has getting a good night’s sleep been a problem? Revisit your reasons why you want to lose weight.
Maybe you just aren’t ready for the task of losing weight. That’s still okay! It just means you aren’t ready. Work on your mindset.
No Deprivation
Instead of feeling like a failure and just abandoning the whole idea of trying to lose weight, I realized there was a place for having the foods I liked.
Again, I’m not saying this is the healthiest way to start a weight loss plan, but it was what worked and helped me gain some momentum with my weight loss.
Sometimes I worked treats and snacks that I loved into my week when I planned my meals. Knowing I wasn’t banning things I love to eat from my weight loss plan helped me feel that I wasn’t on a “diet”, and I had control.
Deprivation wasn’t something I felt at all. I started off weight my weight loss plan working in foods I loved. By the end of six months I lost 50 pounds.
This method of losing weight allowed me to check in with myself and see how certain foods made me feel inside. I felt fabulous eating more vegetables, fruit, and baked, broiled or grilled protein of my choosing.
Gradually, the cravings subsided and the need to add treats and indulgences as often wasn’t necessary.
What I learned was, when you give your body whole nutritious foods, you don’t experience the cravings for sweets, or fast food. You are truly satisfied.
I could walk into the break room at work and see a table full take out food or sweets, and look at it as if I were looking at a vase of flowers. No triggers. That was empowering!
My ability to control myself around trigger foods was so freeing. I live this way now. However, if at any time I do want a treat, I still go ahead and have it. No guilt.
Cold Turkey vs. Portion Control
The point is, giving yourself the chance to wean off of junk foods may be better than cutting yourself off from what you like, especially in the beginning. It just made sense for me to try this because going cold turkey never worked for me in the past.
How realistic would it have been to tell myself that I would never have potato chips or cookies again? Doing that is setting yourself up to fail.
Instead, telling myself that I could treat myself in moderation, and then planning for those treats put the control back in my hands.
The result: I lost 100 pounds and went through the entire experience without struggling.
Don’t get me wrong, cold turkey can work. I’ve seen it work for many people. However my method was a kinder gentler way to get the same result while igniting my motivation and determination to reach my weight loss goal.
Conclusion
When you create your own weight loss plan, you call the shots! You can build in strategies that will help you navigate all the scenarios you encounter in your life.
It’s your plan, unique to you.
Getting healthy and staying that way is a lifelong journey. Remember, there’s no end game. It’s a much easier process when you get to take your time and choose how you want your weight loss plan to play out.
I want to hear from you! Have you found success with weight loss by excluding all treats from your weight loss plan?
Please share in the comments!
Sources:
https://fityourself.club/craving-junk-food-here-are-the-2-most-common-reasons-ba6b5a343afd
