You’re Not “On” or “Off” a Diet—You’re Just…Eating.
Does this sound familiar:
You start a new “clean eating” plan. You’re all in. No sugar, no bread, no anything fun. Three days later, you’re stress-eating half a loaf of garlic bread, and suddenly, you’ve “failed.” So you figure, “Screw it, may as well eat everything I wasn’t ‘allowed’ to have.” You promise to start fresh Monday. Again.
That, my friends, is the All-or-Nothing Mindset, and it’s been ruining people's relationships with food for decades.
Why This Mindset Sucks
It sets you up to fail. When you cut out foods completely, your brain actually fixates on them MORE (thanks, psychology). Studies show that food restriction often leads to intense cravings and binge eating later.
It ignores your actual hunger. Instead of listening to what your body needs, you follow rules. Newsflash: Your body doesn’t know it’s “cheat day.” It just knows it's hungry.
It makes food the enemy. Food isn’t good or bad. It’s just food. But when you constantly feel like you’re either “winning” or “failing” at eating, you’re trapped in an exhausting cycle of guilt.
How to Break Free
✔ 1. Stop labeling food as “good” or “bad.” No single meal is going to make or break your health. That burger? It’s not “bad.” It’s just a meal. The more neutral you are about food, the less power it holds over you.
✔ 2. Ditch the “cheat day” mindset. Instead of saving “fun” foods for one day, allow them anytime you actually want them. Ironically, this makes you crave them less.
✔ 3. Ask: “How do I want to feel?”Before you eat, check in with yourself. Do you want to feel sluggish or energized? Bloated or strong? Making choices based on how food makes you feel (not just taste) is a game-changer.
✔ 4. Progress, not perfection. Some days, you’ll eat veggies and protein like a nutrition rockstar. Other days, you’ll eat nachos for dinner. That’s life. The goal is balance, not perfection.
Food is not a test you pass or fail. Once you stop treating it like one, eating becomes a whole lot easier! Try adding one “forbidden” food back into your life without guilt this week. See what happens...
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