Don't eliminate "bad" food if you want to lose weight!

How many times have you heard someone say that they need to lose weight so they are going to eliminate gluten or alcohol or chocolate or soy or, or, or….  Name the culprit du jour that seems to be on trend and there you have it….the next miracle diet!  As someone who has been training women for years for weight loss, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to eliminate so-called unhealthy food - or any food group for that matter!  (If you have a serious food allergy/sensitivity obviously this advice isn’t for you!)  Aside from the fact that eliminating foods makes you that much more acutely aware of their absence or your willpower to resist them, I’ve found that it causes a host of other problems.

First by eliminating healthy foods (such as grains for example), you may be robbing your body of vital nutrients, the ability to control glucose (hello diabetes), and increasing inflammation.  Second, certain foods have become tradition for folks….it provides comfort, identity, a family routine, and a way to bond and show love.  For example, I had a client who came from a large Italian family.  One of their family traditions was to gather together once a week at the family matriarch’s house and have a big pasta dinner together.  Not only was this a family tradition that my client enjoyed, it allowed her to feel bonded to her loved ones.  Missing this get together would have made her super unhappy and, mentally, less likely to *want* to make healthy choices.  It would rob her of something that brought her joy.  And you are mistaken if you think food isn’t integral to happiness for most folks!  (And the more miserable you are, the more you turn to food).  Third, having foods that you enjoy on a regular basis make it much more likely that you won’t binge later!  One of the keys to successful eating is to keep your cravings at bay.  If you’re tired, stressed, and completely dissatisfied with your food, what do you think is getting kicked to the curb first?  Yep, the steamed broccoli is totally getting ditched for some donuts!

Since finding yourself face-first in the Pirate Booty bag isn’t exactly going to help you get the body you want, here are some realistic tips for making lasting change.

1. When indulging, eat it slowly without shame.  One of the biggest issues with eating unhealthy food is the mindless speed with which the food gets consumed.  I know, I used to do it!  It’s as if by inhaling this chocolate donut at Mach 1 somehow the calories don’t count!  LOL!  So desensitize yourself to the guilt associated with eating “treat” foods and enjoy them!  You will find that typically two thing will happen:  crappy food won’t taste as appetizing and you’ll wait for the “good stuff” and that it will take far less of the food to make you satisfied.

2. Try making your treat a “little bit better.”  Maybe a deep dish, meat lovers pizza is your jam.  First, maybe you ditch the fatty meats and replace it with veggies.  Then, you can try a hand tossed version. Next, you can get more gourmet and do an Italian-style thin crust with fresh buffalo mozz and pair it with a salad.  This way you don’t feel deprived because you’re still eating pizza, but you have made it exponentially healthier and more suited to achieving your goals.

3. If health-ing it up isn’t your thing, try having 3 bites of your favorite food and leaving the rest.  The majority of the satisfaction comes from the initial couple bites...I think mostly because that’s when you satisfy the craving! Let’s be honest, ever have a hankering for a brownie when you’re trying to avoid brownies?  You’ll eat everything in the house trying to avoid eating that brownie!  When in reality if you just had some of the brownie, you would have eaten far less calories and been far happier!  Make sense?!

4. If you’re the type to eat perfect for several days then break down and binge, I recommend eating something you love every day.  I’m not talking about eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s with a spoon at night, but I am suggesting eating a moderate amount of that same Ben & Jerry’s in a bowl and savoring the hell out of it!  Knowing that you have your favorite ice cream to look forward to at the end of the day, makes it a lot easier to eat those veggies earlier in the day.

Ultimately, you want to customize food to fit your life.  What I want for all my clients and for you is to adopt changes that you can live with forever! Just say no to dieting!  LOL!

I’d love to hear your comments in the section below!