In the email I sent at the beginning of February, I promised a follow up to my message about what to do if you’re eating very little but not losing weight.
And then, well, I forgot. Until I was politely reminded!
So, a little later than intended, here are some thoughts on relaxing the rules.
I’ve also removed myself from my comfort zone and recorded this as a video as well. You can find it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
We discussed overall calorie balance in my last message, and how eating at a deficit during the week could be wiped out annoyingly quickly by relaxing the rules too much at the weekend.
My advice here is to relax the rules MORE often, not to tighten the reins further.
If the weekend stops being the green-light, time-limited opportunity to eat whatever it is you want, then those foods stop being a forbidden fruit, and stop holding such allure.
This more relaxed approach makes it less likely that you’ll go crazy and overeat, because it is not your only opportunity to eat it.
Just to be clear though, this is not me suggesting you go around eating junk all the time.
This is about understanding how different food makes you feel and makes your body function, and making your choices accordingly.
Some foods satisfy your hunger and help keep your weight and health in check, and some foods contribute to a bad nights sleep, reduced energy and a foggy brain.
Most of the time, you want to keep your weight and health in check, and you want to fill your body with real, nutrient rich food. But sometimes, you want to choose something simply because it tastes nice, or because its an important part of a celebration. When you make these choices, you’re fully aware of any consequences that food is likely to give you, and that it is still absolutely fine to choose it. Further; as long as you’re getting the balance right, it won’t have any impact on the results you see over the long term.
Don’t make choices on autopilot. I’ve written a lot about this in the past and I believe it has a huge part to play in helping you stay the course.
It’s not about a punishment, or something you’re not allowed to eat because it is bad. Instead, it’s a choice you make to make it easier for yourself to stay on track and reach your goals.