3 Ways to Stop Dieting & Start Feeling Fabulous

I've got three words for you: "Diets don't work!" In fact, the most surefire way to predict if someone is going to gain weight in a year is to see if they're on a diet now.

Lucy is not on a diet.

Restrictive eating (dieting) causes stress. Stress causes your body to go into survival mode. Survival mode means your metabolism slows and your body stores more of the food you eat as fat.

Read more about Why Diets Don't Work in The Huffington Post.

Unfortunately, the reality is a lot of us are eating chemicalized, processed junk food. This crap is killing us so of course we need to keep it out of our bodies if we wanna stay healthy.

So how does one stop eating crap without dieting? I've got three tips for kicking your diet to the curb while achieving and maintaining a healthy weight and attitude. Trick is you need to do all of these things together. It's a trifecta.

Don't refrain.
Eat as much as you want of whatever you want for as long as you want. You may gain weight. You may feel like crap. You might not. The big thing is it's impossible to keep eating tons of junk forever. Eventually, knowing that you can eat anything, your mind- which is what makes you eat junk- will stop feeling the need to rebel because really there's nothing to rebel against. You aren't being deprived. There are no rules to rally against. There's no holy standard to judge yourself against. The struggle dissipates and peace enters the picture.

What do you eat when you're at peace with yourself, when you're feeling happy and loved exactly as you are right now? Good food that makes you feel good! Will you ever eat junk food again? Yes, probably some on occasion, but it will come from a place of choice.

If this idea interests you, I highly recommend checking out the brilliant work of Geneen Roth, author of Women Food and God.

Handle your baggage.
We all have issues. Stories that replay in our head and tell us we're not good enough, don't deserve better, can't achieve our goals. Sometimes we turn to food and the obsession with what we're eating (or not eating) as a distraction or as solace from these painful stories.

Let me just say this: You are magnificent. Seriously. And anyone, including yourself, who tells you you're less than magnificent needs to be schooled. Working with a health coach like me is a great way to unfold stories and rediscover your power in a safe, supportive, judgement-free environment.

Add glitter.
Go big, sparkly, and fun in every area of your life! Glitter allows you to show up as your most confident, joyful self and take care of business while having the best time ever. Glitter is the opposite of restriction and control. It's expansive, flowing, generous, and kind.

Sprinkle glitter onto the stuff you want more of, so it shines and catches your eye, diverting your attention from the stuff you "shouldn't" be eating. Adding glitter could mean eating a natural rainbow at breakfast, teaching a friend how to knit, or humming your favorite Modest Mouse song while you complete the TPS report at work.

I'm hosting a free Glitter & Goals Party this Sunday (March 16th) at 4pm EST via teleseminar. Call in and get some support to gain clarity on your goals and learn how you can reach them with more fun and glitter. There will be a sweet surprise gift for every guest. Shoot me an email to RSVP.

What have been your experiences with restrictive eating? Did you lose weight on a diet only to gain it back? Do you think diets work but it's a matter of finding the perfect diet?

Thanks so much for reading this blog entry! I hope it was helpful. Let's stay connected: Newsletter // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Bloglovin' // YouTube

Consider supporting this blog by shopping via my Amazon shop or buying my green cleaning eBook. Thanks.