I did the craziest thing over the weekend!
No, I didn’t shave my head, bungee jump, or sell all of my belongings.
I did a crazy thing that you might think was bad for my health – I went out to an event, drank wine with friends and ate multiple cookies and macarons.
Yes, I ate gluten filled, sugar laced cookies with alcohol infused wine. And no, I didn’t feel guilty about it at all. In fact, I joked with my husband the next day that my pants actually fit better and I felt great.
And you know why? Because I let loose, laughed a lot, spent time with good friends, and stopped counting points/carbs/cookies/calories. Basically, I didn’t stress about one night of fun. I didn’t worry about the possible consequences to my “diet”. I didn’t beat myself up for indulging and treating myself to a fun time.
And you might find that this very thing, letting loose, could be what you from a deprived dieter to a fun-loving, healthy lifer.
Here’s why:
When you diet, in any form, you can easily feel deprived. Now, I’m not talking about food allergies, intolerances, religious.moral beliefs or addictions here, those are a different story. I’m talking about cutting out all sweets, never touching grain-filled carbs, swearing off meat and cheese for life, and never allowing yourself a latte or glass of wine. I’m talking about counting carbs, calories, and points until the cows come home.
These can leave you feeling like you are missing out on something. They can make you feel restricted and then you are more likely to not just splurge but to full on binge and fall off the wagon for day, months, or years at a time. These are the things that can make you boomerang back to the weight you were before your diet, and maybe even a bit more.
And you know why? Because they stress you the {expletive} out!!
And when you are stressed two things usually happen:
1) You reach for comfort foods all day and all night. Then you feel guilty, you restrict yourself more, and then you start the cycle all over again. Binge and restrict, binge and restrict.
2) When you are stressed you body holds onto as much as it possibly can. Ever wonder why you gained 5 pounds over one super stressful weekend, even if you didn’t change your eating habits? Probably not from the food, but form the stress. For me, I balloon up fast when I am stressed. Way back in the day, stress meant famine, lack of food, and war. So our bodies were made and adapted to hold onto food when the signal was sent.
So how does cutting loose help you get healthy?
When you cut loose, you have no restrictions. You are free to eat whatever you want, whenever you want. And when you can do that, you just might find that its not as big of a deal. Your strong cravings will disappear. And when you want a cookie or a glass of wine, you can have one because you know it won’t lead to much more.
And when you do, a little indulgence might be the thing you need to keep you “on track”. Not a little indulgence every meal, every snack, and every day. But a glass or two or wine here and there, a cookie when a friend bakes them for you, or a treat at a party.
It also takes the stress out. If one night you want to just have fun, you might actually bring your spirit up for days, reignite a spark, and find you have more to live for than just food. The less stress you have, the better you can feel, and the more you’ll naturally incorporate healthy, satisfying choices into your life, without feeling like you have to “diet” forever.
If you are ready to give up on dieting forever, leave a comment below with your goal or email jessi@thehouseofhealthy.com, I’ll show you how to get started.
Peace and Love,
Jessi
