Dieting Again
I’m dieting again. The three most dreaded words in my vocabulary. Fortunately I haven’t used those words in almost two years, but they still haunt me. They lurk in the back of my mind. What if what I’m doing stops working and I start gaining weight again?
Ever find those thoughts and fears becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy? In the past, that’s what it’s been for me, but I’m starting to feel more confident that what I’m doing is working, and will continue to work. I attribute much of this to the fact that I no longer deprive myself of foods I love until I lose weight or until I go off my diet.
No food is taboo
Rebecca Clark, author of The Checklist Diet posted on her 30-day weight loss challenge on Facebook three habits of naturally thin people from EatClean.com.
First, naturally thin people don’t deprive themselves. If they really wants something, they have it. They understand that the occasional indulgence has no real impact on their weight or overall health. But the key word is “occasional.”
Second, they don’t use food to comfort themselves.
Naturally thin people don’t turn to food when they’re happy, sad, depressed, angry, etc. They find other ways to comfort themselves.
Third, they don’t eat past fullness. Naturally thin people are better at listening to their bodies and stopping before they’re stuffed. Maybe because they don’t deprive themselves of their favorite foods, they don’t feel the need to overeat—if they want that food again, they can have it… within reason.
I’m convinced learning these three practices is the key to maintaining my weight. Does that mean I can eat all the foods I love in large quantities and on a daily basis? No, but when I crave it I eat it, but it isn’t on a daily basis any more.
Make a list
Dr. Michelle May’s book, Eat What You Love Love What You Eat suggested making a list of my favorite “forbidden” or “scary” foods.
Here’s my list: scones (I adore them especially from McKay Cottage in Bend, Oregon), bagels, anything Panini, tuna salad, French bread, flour tortillas, Sees candy, Frappuccinos, croissants, dinner rolls, blackberry jam, Lundburg rice cakes, nachos, pasta, biscuits, cobbler, pie, KFC chicken coleslaw and chicken thighs, Costco red velvet cake, ice cream, lasagna, French toast, peanut butter, peanut butter cookies, popcorn, pretzels, sweet and sour chicken/pork, and real cheese (all kinds).
As I made out the list, I craved a lot of these foods, but then a funny thing happened. As I started eating foods from the list (in reasonable portions) when I craved them, I didn’t hunger for them like I used to. And some of the foods I didn’t even want. Writing them down took away the forbidden aspect and their control over me. 
What’s your greatest fear with your weight? What are your forbidden foods?