It might seem like it’s impossible for you to know when to stop eating, or that you always give in to your cravings, however with implementing these three simple mindset tools, you should find that it is much easier to stop overeating.
Along with techniques such as intuitive eating and using a hunger and fullness scale, these lesser known mindset adjustments below could be the missing ingredients when it comes to working on weight management and reducing food (sugar) cravings for good.
The 90/10 Rule
Please, please stop dieting and get out of the diet mentality once and for all. Instead, aim to eat clean, whole foods 90% of the time, and let yourself indulge without guilt 10% of the time. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip – this kind of guilt and self-blame does not help you stay on course.
Deprivation is not a sustainable way to make changes that last and only leads to over-eating. There’s something that happens to us mentally the moment we tell ourselves we can’t have something. It makes us want that thing even more. a
You may be able to go cold turkey on your favourite food for two weeks, but then what happens after your “diet”? Most people will probably binge, feel bad, and give up.
Allowing yourself to eat what you love, and possibly finding a healthier substitute to satisfy your taste buds, is how you can make healthy changes that will bring you benefits for a long time to come. Crowd out unhealthy food choices with an abundance of whole foods and you will not feel deprived- plus- you will be nourishing your body so that you are more satisfied and less likely to have cravings that can come when you are not eating enough nutrient dense foods.
And when and if you do indulge occasionally, enjoy eating that treat and know that it in the long-term, eating cake for one day is not going to blow everything! Instead of worrying, savour the flavours and take pleasure in each mouthful.
Your Big Why
When you face challenges in adapting dietary and lifestyle changes, and you can feel yourself moving back to the old familiar way of (over) eating, ask yourself – what is it costing you not to take action?
