When it comes to your diet, add instead of subtract
When people set out to change their eating habits, they often create a strict set of rules for themselves. Unfortunately, these rules almost always involve deprivation and an intention to avoid so-called "bad" foods. Sadly, most nutrition advice is deeply rooted in deprivation. I see articles all the time with headlines like “The ten foods you should NEVER eat again if you are trying to lose weight.” It’s a terrible message. Following those strict rules is like walking a tightrope. One false step and you are done. You have fallen off the tightrope. And for a lot of people, this will trigger a cycle of guilt, shame and anxiety that is hard to break, and make any meaningful progress almost impossible. This is the hallmark of diet culture.
When you are thinking about how to improve your eating habits, I recommend focusing on what you can add to your diet, instead of what you will subtract from your diet. As humans, we don’t respond well to being told what we can’t do or can’t have. Our inner toddler tends to rebel after a while. When we put things off-limits, they tend to gain more power over us. It’s like telling a kid “you can play with any toy in this room except THAT one." They automatically get fixated on the one toy they can’t have. It's much more effective to focus on what to eat, instead of what NOT to eat.
It can take time and practice to change that mindset. But it really can be a game-changer for people. Once you are focused on trying to eat more nutrient-dense foods, the less nutritious stuff tends to get minimized. And it happens naturally without you having to resist “off-limit" foods.
Here are some examples of what this mindset might look like:
- Instead of an intention to eat out less, set an intention to prepare more food at home.
- Instead of an intention to drink less soda, set an intention to drink more water.
- Instead of an intention to not eat after 7 p.m., set an intention to honor your hunger (no matter when that hunger may strike).