Which Dieter Are You?

4. The Extremist-You’re either on or off, good or bad or all or nothing at any given time. Because of this, you have a “diet mentality” which has you believing that the only way to get to and maintain a healthy weight is through extreme deprivation. Unfortunately, dieting leads to bingeing because of the deprivation it brings so when you can’t take any more dry, grilled, plain chicken and broccoli, you go crazy and head right back to what you were eating which caused the weight gain in the first place.

The solution- Find a middle ground. You’ve spent years (maybe decades) living this way and it’s chipping away at your waistline as well as your health, confidence and self-esteem. For you, the 80/20 rule may work where you’re eating healthfully 80% of the time leaving the other 20% for snacks, treats and indulgences. Planning for these treats gets you off the diet rollercoaster because you’ve eliminated the need to get to the finish line…only to go crazy once you get there.

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5. The Latest Craze Dieter-The minute someone tells you about the newest diet craze…you’re on it. In your dieting history, you’ve eliminated complete food groups, lived on close to single ingredients, had to create some crazy concoctions and had to deal with some really unpleasant side effects in the process. You’ve tried it all and at this point, you can unofficially be a professional diet reviewer…although you’d rather not because you’re still struggling with the same weight issues you’ve been battling for years.

The solution- Get your power back. You’re so used to giving your power away because you assume everyone knows better than you. That’s simply not true. Knowing what’s best for you is where lasting change happens so while it’s wise to get educated on what healthy eating really entails, tune into what can work best for you while tuning into what makes your body thrive.

6. The Guilt Tripper- For you, every sweet, treat or food choice you feel is unhealthy is eaten with a side of guilt. Because of that, there’s no satisfaction when eating which leads you to feel continuously frustrated, aggravated, guilty and filled with shame when it comes to food. Things like “I’m so bad,” “ I can’t believe I just ate that,” and “No wonder I’m so fat” constantly play in a never-ending negative tape loop in your head.

The solution-By giving yourself permission to indulge now and then, you’ve eliminated the need to feel guilty about it. For you, preplanning your indulgences and making the commitment to enjoy them thoroughly will reduce the amount of indulgences you have while truly allowing you to enjoy the food…and then move on.

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A healthy relationship with food starts by identifying where you are now so you know what needs to be changed. You can have a have your cake and eat it too…as long as it’s carefully planned, enjoyed and accounted for.