Happy 2018 – Day 331 – Why ‘diets’ don’t work

I’ve said before that I’m not into diets. After 30 years of having them fail, time and time again, I realised that I needed another plan.

However… I had to make weight for my BJJ comp this month and thanks to some recent indulgences, I found myself with 20 pounds to lose in a month. Ouch!

I did it folks, I did it! I lost 20 pounds in a month.

Though mental amounts of BJJ training, morning running and spinning sessions and intermittent fasting with food restriction, I did it.

Success! Right?!

I guess. But I wouldn’t recommend it. At least, not the food restriction part.

Here’s why: for the last month, I’ve thought of nothing else other than the foods which I wasn’t allowed to eat. I’ve gone to bed, torturing myself with ‘tasty’ videos of cookie dough and cheesecake, drooling into my bed covers.

I spent more time thinking about what I was going to eat after the comp, than the comp itself!

And you know what? As soon as I’d weighed in, the cakes and the cookie dough completely lost its’ appeal.

This last month has reminded me that telling yourself you can’t have, do, say, experience something instantly makes it more appealing.

What does work is telling yourself that you can have whatever you want, but learning to actually listen to your body.

I’d planned all kinds of treats to have as my reward. I’d pictured myself eating takeaways and icecreams and downing the Prosecco… but when it came to it, I just really wanted a big bowl of rice pudding.

It was delicious!

If you’re trying to make changes in your life, in whatever area, just remind yourself that when you make certain things taboo, it can take your focus to the very place you want to avoid.

Being less extreme in your approach might feel a little scary, but you might be surprised to find that your body guides you towards better choices anyway.