Breaking up the infernal cycle of yo-yo diets

The most destructive aspects of diets are our thoughts that draw us to self-destructive behavior.

Our goal is to rapidly get rid of our few extra pounds. We make some temporary modifications instead of choosing permanent good habits, and very often, we engage in a destructive black and white mode of thinking, differentiating between healthy foods and tasty foods that are often bad for our health. For instance, pizzas become one of those devilish temptations that, of course, are strictly forbidden. I would like to emphasize that the true problem is neither the pizza nor the fact we eat it, but rather the feeling of guilt that overwhelms us.

A typical scenario is as follows: we stay away from forbidden foods for a moment. Then, temptations become stronger and stronger, and we get closer, slowly but surely, promising to ourselves that we only steal a bite and, within a heartbeat, there we are, seated at the table, a huge slice of pizza in our hand and the remains of the previous one between our teeth.

We then groan under the weight of all the remorse and shame because we have violated our diet! A series of thoughts jostle together in our mind, such as: this is it, I have committed something irreparable! I am a looser! I am too weak! I have destroyed everything! I am not worth anything! So much effort and for what? For what purpose? I should forget about the whole thing and that's all. I am so disgusting. I truly have no willpower. When excess leads to excess…

Unfortunately, the logical sequence of this mode of negative thoughts is very often a huge excess! Why? Well, because we believe that we are pathetic and cowardly and we then act accordingly. We do not get satisfied with a small sample of this appetizing feast, we swallow it all in one bite and we rush to the following one. At this very moment we already beginning to count the pounds we are gaining back, with interest… Until our next diet, that will often have the same destiny. An irreparable situation? But, there is a better solution to this kind of scenario! We only have to redefine our willpower. Willpower is not only about denying ourselves a long list of foods that damage our health and our figure - on the contrary!

We must consider our willpower as a choice and a sense of responsibility. Thus, willpower is in fact the choice we have made to become healthier. Willpower may also mean that we are looking for some balance in our life and in our food. Ironically, willpower is also about choosing to eat a dish that is not included in our diet if this is what we really want. Pizza for example, becomes a simple choice and is not any longer considered a curse or a test. And even if we eat more than necessary, if we acknowledge that this was our choice, rather that considering this fact as a lack of willpower, we will be able to avoid the frenzy of gaining weight and breaking our diets, that leads us into the vicious circle of yo-yo diets!

Julie, Coach, member of the PLANTIA team.