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Do you have a magic number?

A number in kilo’s or pounds or perhaps a dress or jeans size?

Although I haven’t weighed myself in at least a year maybe two, I still have a number in mind that makes me happy to see. I also have a number I’d be mortified to see flash up on the scales. I know this is stupid. It’s not logical, healthy or aligned with any of my beliefs around creating a fit, strong, healthy body and yet… still, the fixation on a number lingers in the recesses of my mind. The result of decades of marketing designed to portray the ideal body and persuade each of us to strive for that ideal.

In todays show:

The Problems Of A Dieting Mind 

I’m covering 8 of the many problems of a dieting mind and sharing what to do instead. 

These are the considerations that help me keep my magic number firmly locked in the recesses of my mind and allow me to focus instead on everything so much more valuable than a (not little enough!) little number.

One: A Dieting Mind encourages A Restriction Mindset.

The first thing that every diet has in common is everything you can’t eat. Whether it’s specific foods, or set calories, or periods of fasting or cleansing there is an extensive “out of bounds” list and for most of us that’s just plain UN-fun.

Beyond UN-fun, the more you’re told not to eat or think about something the more you want to eat / think about it. Perhaps you can last a few days or even weeks restricting yourself however it’s really hard work. All those goodies you’re not eating are constantly on your mind. You fantasise about them and eventually, when you give up on the diet or reach your goal weight (magic number!) you console or reward yourself with ALL THE GOODIES.

And so the weight loss and regain roller-coaster ride goes.

The mindset to cultivate instead is an abundance mindset. To focus first on all the delicious, nutritious food you enjoy at every single meal. Now to be clear I couldn’t kid myself into thinking steamed broccoli and brown rice was a delicious, abundant meal. To support your abundance mindset you have to put in the effort to find those meals that are good for your body, your mind and your tastebuds.

Two: A Dieting Mind sees Exercise As Punishment. 

Humans were built to move and yet we’ve manufactured a world in which it’s increasingly easy to be incredibly sedentary. For exercise to be something you prioritise every day it needs to become something you enjoy or at least value as precious YOU time that gets you the result you want. If you see exercise as punishment to be endured for “breaking your diet” or a necessary evil while you’re “on a diet” you’re making it hard to stick to something that deserves to be part of your lifestyle long term and actually is a privilege not a punishment.

I’m really not a fan of the “exercise to eat what I want” approach. It can feed a dangerous spiral of the more you exercise the more you have to exercise. When that gets unsustainable you’ll be tempted to pair it with the less you eat the less you have to eat. Eating less and exercising more can only take you so far… it’ll get miserable quick.

The solution is to view food and exercise as complementary rather than reactive. You eat the food that lets you feel, function and look how you want to and completely separately you exercise the amount and the type that also lets you feel, function and look how you want to.

Three: A Dieting Mind focuses On Calories Not Nutrients. 

Although it’s still a disputed myth in weight loss: a calorie is not a calorie. A calorie can be of zero nutritional value. It can fuel a vicious cycle of cravings and emotional eating while leaving you both too lethargic to exercise and racked with guilt for the all out demolish session you just indulged in. Or, it can be high quality nutritionally dense fuel for your body. That tastes great, gives you energy and builds a sustainable cycle of healthy eating and regular exercise.

When you choose your meals based on the value they have to offer your body there’s little need to even consider calories. In fact I would go so far as to say when you follow a primarily whole foods plant based diet you can joyfully throw away your measuring devices!

Four: A Dieting Mind focus’s on Short Term Rather Than Lifestyle.

When I think back to my earliest memories of dieting I recall the crazy extreme diets my mum would try. The grapefruit diet. The bread diet. They were always short term and though they generally led her to lose some weight, 100% guaranteed she’d stop the diet and regain the weight. 

This is one of the most frustrating things I observe in health and weight loos. Seeing people I love struggle to stick with something utterly unsustainable – rave about the results they are getting – and then be genuinely shocked when they resume their old eating habits and their old weight returns.

The only secret to finding the ideal diet for YOU is to find the diet that you can stick to for the rest of your life.

Sure, it can and should evolve with time as you gain access to better information and as your lifestyle, goals and body change. However the process of evolving will be based on upgrades you choose rather than settling or giving up or lowering your expectations out of desperation.

Five: A Dieting Mind is At The Mercy Of The Scales.

There’s nothing more frustratingly than having a “hugely disciplined week” with your food and exercise and eagerly jumping on the scales to see that stubborn number has not gone down. Perhaps, inexplicably it’s even crept up.

Rather than ‘a magic number’ I strongly urge you to focus on taking the consistent actions that will allow you to create a fit, strong, healthy body. Actions are always within your control. However sadly – and potentially HUGELY dishearteningly – the time it takes to see results for your actions is not within your control. I guarantee the right actions consistently will give you the result. I just can’t guarantee when.

Maintaining an action focused mindset rather than a scale focused mindset will help you stay positive and motivated for as long as it takes.

Six: A Dieting Mind is Fighting Your Body (rather than working with it).

I call this the Beat Body verses Best Body mindset. Beat body, is a constant, frustratingly, exhausting struggle. Best body, is when you and your body are a team. Does that sound weird? I hope not!

Think of it as when you and your body are working together and want the best for each other. It means you’re constantly progressing and getting to avoid that hideous energy – Time – HOPE suck that happens when you cycle between dumping crap-o-la food on your body and then severely restricting it in a desperate attempt to “get back on track.”

Seven: A Dieting Mind Relies On Discipline.

Circumstances will always beat discipline. The dieting mind deludes itself that it will have more discipline “this time” than it did last time… and the time before.

The alternative is to admit your lack of discipline and outsmart those obstacles that have jumped in the way of your dieting mind in the past.

That’s not meant to be insulting or judgemental! The people who are most effective at staying fit and healthy long term do not diet and are not more disciplined. They’ve just stopping kidding themselves that they’ll have super human discipline in those times when they’re tired, stressed, sad, procrastinating… or perhaps just feeling downright lazy or self destructive.

Eight: A Dieting Mind thinks “I’m The Failure” (not the diet).

I’d guess the majority of people starting a diet have a HUGE load of doubt monopolising the not so far back recesses of their mind so far as their ability to stick to and see results for the next diet they attempt.

Sadly a dieting mind recalls all those past attempts that did not work. It reminds you: “You’re not very disciplined. You have a sluggish metabolism. You’re a fervent foodie and a natural non-exerciser.” It declares: “What’s the point of even trying another diet when you always give up?” It insists that: “Why don’t you just give it a half hearted attempt?” so that when you fail again at least you have that little: “I could have tried harder!” excuse.

The alternative is to see all those failed diets as feedback on what does not work for your body and more so, your mind. 

To get actionable today, does one in particular of The Problems Of A Dieting Mind jump out at you as something you could improve on?

Let’s do a quick recap and I’ll also share a potential improved action for each.

One: A Dieting Mind encourages A Restriction Mindset.

To build an abundance mindset ONE at a time find meals that are good for your body, your mind and your tastebuds. I share some of my favs in the 3 Day Easy Vegan Plan:

Two: A Dieting Mind sees Exercise As Punishment.

To view food and exercise as complementary rather than reactive decide on the training plan that is designed to help you create a fit strong, healthy body rather than to “make up for” your food slip ups. I share how in show #059, Your I.D.E.A.L. Training Plan:

Three: A Dieting Mind focuses On Calories Not Nutrients.

To focus on nutrients first build your meals around fibrous veg, plant based protein and good fat. Rather than counting calories, count colours and count different veg. If you’re up for a challenge beat my 20+ veg salad and let me know how you got there in the show notes for today!

Four: A Dieting Mind focus’s on Short Term Rather Than Lifestyle.

What are some of the characteristics of the diet that you can stick to for the rest of your life? This is likely a harder action step to engage in however perhaps take the approaches you’re considering and apply the filter of each of these questions:

• Are there examples of people who have the results I’m seeking that adhere to this approach (happily!) long term?
• Could this work with my family? Work? Travel? Finances?
• Is this approach aligned with my values and beliefs?

Five: A Dieting Mind is At The Mercy Of The Scales.

Rather than ‘a magic number’ I strongly urge you to focus on taking the consistent actions that will allow you to create a fit, strong, healthy body. For a start I share 5 of my consistent actions (Keystone Habits) in show #170:

Six: A Dieting Mind is Fighting Your Body (rather than working with it).

If it doesn’t come easily to think of you and your body as a team then start by imagining how you’d treat your mum, little sister even if this resonates most easily your loved family pet! Whoever you’re thinking of – that you love and respect – treat your body as you would treat them. With quality reliable fuel, quality consistent exercise, quality sleep and quality supportive self-talk.

Seven: A Dieting Mind Relies On Discipline.

What is ONE persistent obstacle that has jumped in the way of your dieting mind in the past and how can you outsmart it? Perhaps keeping your tempting trigger foods at home? Or going to your favourite restaurant and expecting you’ll be able to stick to the boring salad. Potentially falling for the Borrowing From Tomorrow trap (which I cover in show #043) in which you convince yourself “I’ll eat half tomorrow” or “I’ll exercise for twice as long tomorrow.”

Eight: A Dieting Mind thinks “I’m The Failure” (not the diet).

Think of your last failed diet and consider what is ONE bit of implementable feedback on what did not work for your body and more so, your mind. 

Here’s to ditching The Problems Of A Dieting Mind and embracing only the most positive, effective and JOYFUL beliefs around creating a fit, strong, healthy body!

That’s it for this week in Healthification. Huge thanks to YOU for sharing this week with me.

The Healthification podcast is proudly bought to you by my FREE 3 Day Easy Vegan Plan. It took me 25 years to transition from a meat eater to a happy, healthy Vegan! You can do it in just 3 days with  my simplified ‘easy vegan’ plan!  Get the fit, strong, and healthy plant based body you deserve… while avoiding ALL the mistakes I made along the way!

Till next time, remember Creating a body and life you love is Freedom. (If this ex-carb queen, NON-genetically gifted, naturally uncoordinated VEGAN-chick can do it – so can YOU!!!)

If you liked ‘The Problems Of A Dieting Mind‘ you’ll also like: 3 Food Rules You’ll Love (Weekly Wrap #4)

If you’re yet to share the Healthification love – just click here to zip over to iTunes and leave an honest rating and review. It’d help me out big time. With gratitude, Kate.