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Most of us have likely at one time or another resolved to
eat better – to cut out all the foods we think we ‘shouldn't'
be eating. We believe by sheer willpower alone we can ‘eat
right' to lose weight, improve our health and feel better.
But after a few days of this resolve (if we can last that
long), we find ourselves reaching for the potato chips or
whatever foods we determined to cut out. And because we ate
some, well, why not eat more? After all, this is the last
time we'll eat them, right? We'll renew our resolve tomorrow,
and one day, we'll be able to cut out potato chips once and
for all.
Healthy Eating: The First Step
This all-too-familiar story is repeated daily for millions
of Americans and other people around the world who struggle
with healthy
eating and weight loss. Rather than changing what
we eat to end that struggle, however, the first logical step
is to change how we think about what we're
eating. What we really need is an attitude
adjustment because once we change how we think about something,
a change in how we act is soon to follow.
Can Healthy Eating Include Doughnuts?
Consider this scenario. Mary thinks she can't eat doughnuts
without overeating them. She calls them ‘fattening junk
food' and never allows them in her house. Still, she
likes the way they taste. Is she setting herself up for a
fall with her attitude about doughnuts?
It seems so because each time someone brings them to work,
she rationalizes, “Well, I'll have these doughnuts
here because I NEVER have them at home. And I may not be able
to get them again for a long time so I better get them while
the gettin's good!” Her belief that doughnuts
are not an acceptable food to have at home creates a belief
that they are off-limits or rarely available. Her belief that
eating doughnuts will make her fat further sets her up for
overeating them with the attitude “Well, I had one and
the damage is done. I might as well eat more.” Hence,
her difficulty in eating doughnuts in moderation when they
are readily available.
The problem in this scenario isn't the doughnuts. It's
the way Mary views them. If she believes that no food is off-limits,
and that no individual food will make or break her healthy
eating efforts, she can much more easily tune into her
internal cues that tell her what she really wants to eat and
how much of it. Her internal cues can tell her if doughnuts
make her feel well when she eats them, thereby telling her
whether she really likes them or not, which can play a major
role in her decision to eat them. If she does decide she truly
likes them, her internal cues can tell her when enough is
enough so that she eats them in a way that doesn't leave
her feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, internal
cues can be drowned out by attitudes about food that stem
from what we've been told (they're unhealthy,
they're fattening, etc.) instead of what we experience
for ourselves.
Examining Our Attitudes about Healthy Eating
If you find yourself time and time again experiencing a similar
struggle to Mary's, examine your attitudes about your
food.
- Do you feel some foods are ‘good' and others
are ‘bad'?
- Do you think that if you aren't avoiding certain
foods, it's inevitable you'll overeat them when
they are available?
- Do you believe once a binge starts there is no way it
can end until all the food is gone?
- Do you believe if you aren't eating “perfectly,”
you're not taking good care of yourself?
- Do you believe there is such a thing as “perfect
eating”?
Changing these beliefs and attitudes about food and eating
are critical to developing a healthy relationship with food
and creating permanent and positive changes in the way we
eat. In the absence of a positive attitude about foods, becoming
more educated about nutrition is unlikely to have much effect.
Whether it's our attitude or beliefs about food, nutrition,
exercise, health or body image, when we undertake lifestyle
change, it's important to consider our attitude about
the subject at hand before jumping right into making changes.
Often the most meaningful and successful lifestyle changes
start with changing our mind first.
Written by Robyn Priebe, RD, CD, Director
of Nutrition, Assistant Program Director, Green Mountain at
Fox Run
For 37 years, Green Mountain at Fox Run has developed and refined a life-changing program exclusively for women seeking permanent strategies for healthy weight loss and healthy eating. More than just another weight loss retreat and spa, and definitely not a fat camp, Green Mountain combines proven science with what works in the real world, to offer an innovative non-diet lifestyle program. Our core weight loss program offers an integrated curriculum of practical, liveable techniques that helps women take charge of their eating, their bodies and their health. Unlike health fitness spa or adult weight loss camps, our approach is not focused on managing binge eating or just losing weight, but on how to maintain a healthy weight and healthy lifestyle. Our participants' long-term weight loss success is among the highest of any weight loss program, as documented in peer-reviewed scientific literature. Learn more about our women's weight loss program
©2008 Green Mountain at Fox Run, Ludlow,
Vermont. This information is the property of Green Mountain
at Fox Run. Permission to use single copies for personal,
noncommercial use is authorized. For all other purposes,
please see details.
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