So you’ve decided to follow a strict weight loss plan, to shed those pounds once and for all. Full of determination and willpower, you decide to restrict access to “bad” foods, eat only healthy meals, and exercise every day.

Technically, that should work… So why do so many people find themselves failing at one plan after another? Often, it’s because their weight loss plan is rooted in self control, rather than self love. No one can follow a list of extreme rules forever, and the easiest way to trigger a food craving is to tell yourself a particular food is off limits!

Are you “full” or satisfied? Often, following a weight loss plan leads to the idea that we must eat a bunch of foods we don’t really like. But the problem is, we end up hungry at 10 pm, and caving into the cravings for what we really wanted in the first place. Even if you’re “full” on the healthy meal, you aren’t really satisfied, and now you’ve eaten two dinners instead of one!

Now, no one is saying that you should eat a large pizza for dinner just so you can feel “satisfied”.  There are, however, healthy versions of pizza recipes out there, and sometimes it’s better to eat an acceptable portion of the food you crave, than to fall into the above scenario.

Listen to your body. When you view some foods as a miserable punishment for being overweight, while others viewing others as highly desirable “bad”, off-limits foods, it’s no wonder you don’t want to stick to a weight loss diet for long.

A more compassionate plan, rooted in self love rather than self control, allows you to eat intuitively. Indulge in a bit of what you crave. Meanwhile, start viewing food as something good you do for yourself. A healthy meal is nourishing, it gives you energy, it fights disease, it keeps you looking younger, it makes you feel good inside and out… When you look at it that way, it’s easier to start treating yourself well. You’ll even begin to crave healthier foods.

That’s not to say you won’t ever crave pizza again. You will, but when you treat yourself with love and compassion, rather than punishment, you might be surprised at how your eating habits change naturally, gradually, and without any sense of deprivation.

Give it a try and while you’re at it, give us a call. We can help you identify the types of nutrients your body needs, and help you develop a weight loss plan that really works.