Diets tell us to follow a set of rules, and no matter what the rules are, when we don’t get to make them for ourselves, we tend to rebel. Try playing by your own rules: Honor your hunger, your fullness and your food preferences. And remember, emotional eating doesn’t work -- the way you feel before you eat is the same way you’re going to feel after, with the added shame of having overeaten. Think of other things that make you feel better, and when you want to go to the food for a quick fix, try one of those other options instead.
Ignore anything that tells you to cut out an entire food group -- our bodies need a variety of foods. Things that eliminate food altogether -- fasts, cleanses, cabbage soup -- are also not the way to go. Yes, you’ll lose some quick weight, but you’ll also dehydrate yourself…and that’s not really a sustainable lifestyle.
Nestpert: Jacque Mular, MS, RD and MA in psychology
-- Paula Kashtan