Fad Diets
Nondiet vs Diet Thinking

 

In order to maintain a healthy and comfortable body weight, we have to put ourselves in a new frame of mind, "The Non-Diet Thinking" frame of mind. Most of us think of a diet as a temporary fix, but a healthy lifestyle change is for the rest of our lives. Once we lose the weight once, we never gain it back again!

Issue
Diet Thinking
Nondiet Thinking
GOAL

Weight loss
Confidence in ability to make choices for better health
PROGRESS
Any weight loss
Gradual life-style changes
SELF ACCEPTANCE
Only after weight loss is achieved
Starts the natural self-nurturing cycle
SUCCESS
Goal weight

Energetic daily living,
increased self-esteem
EXERCISE

No pain, no gain;
should, shouldn’t

Get hooked on increasing activity;
fun and energy

FOOD

Food is the enemy;
deprivation; willpower

Food is the friend; celebrate;
enjoy; taste; savor

LANGUAGE
Should I have it?
Do I need it? Do I want it?
THINKING
All or nothing-“I can have it all or nothing at all”
“I can have it if I really want it”
ATTITUDE

Perfectionist;
must be a certain way
Flexible, goes with the flow
CHOICE
Diet in control; no choice

Person in charge;
decides what and when to eat
HUNGER
Out of touch with physical hunger – may eat in response to psychological hunger, i.e., when under stress
In tune with body’s internal cues of physical hunger; listens to body; does not turn to food when dealing with problems such as stress

 

What is normal eating?

Most of us have been on so many diets throughout our lives, that we have forgotten what normal eating really is all about.

Normal eating is:

  • being able to eat when you are hungry and continue eating until you are satisfied
  • being able to choose food you like and eat it and truly get enough of it – not just stop eating because you think you should
  • being able to use some moderate constraint on your food selection to get the right food, but not being so restrictive that you miss out on pleasurable foods
  • giving yourself permission to eat sometimes because you are happy, sad, bored, or just because it feels good
  • three meals a day, or it can be choosing to munch along
  • leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful when they are fresh
  • overeating at times; feeling stuffed and uncomfortable
  • undereating at times and wishing you had more
  • trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating

Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life.

References:

The Renfrew Center, 7700 Renfrew Lane, Coconut Creek, FL 33073 1-800-332-8415
You Count, Calories Don’t and Hugs Facilitator Kit by Linda Omichinski, copyright 1992, 1993, 1994.

 

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