In our last coaching call for Thrive Academy for Physicians, three members celebrated big changes in their eating.
They weren’t working harder, but they no longer felt the strong urge to reach for treats. One stopped eating dessert when she was satisfied (and left some on her plate). Another just didn’t need extra snacks in the evening anymore.
Whenever things are going smoothly, you should always check in and remember the exact things that are working. That way the next time you struggle, you know what to focus on.
The main change these physicians made was to stop being so restrictive. They stopped telling themselves they couldn’t have ice cream or that they could only eat a small amount of food. They started to relax more around the very foods they used to feel out of control with.
Now if you are someone who can’t have ice cream in the house without eating it, this may sound counterintuitive. How could telling yourself you can have ice cream whenever you want it make you eat LESS ice cream??
But it works.
Because when we are always restricting and telling ourselves we can’t eat the food we love, it only makes us want it more… think about it more… and ultimately eat it more.
When you take away the restriction around these foods, your brain calms down. You can stop obsessing about the cookies because nobody is trying to take the cookies away from you anymore.
Restriction creates more struggle. It sets you up for failure. It just.doesn’t.work.
This week on the podcast, I am joined by Dr. Megan Melo MD (Family Physician, Obesity Medicine Physician and Coach).
We had a ton of fun talking about all things restriction and exactly why restricting more often tips you towards overeating.
You definitely want to check this one out! Listen below or on your favourite podcast app.
Let me know what you think. Does letting go of restriction fill you with dread? Or do you think it may be what you’ve been missing?
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