Why you shouldn’t be cutting out more foods to lose weight.

Losing weight is not about cutting out more foods. I’m an Australian based Dietitian, and I’m here to explain to you why this approach will often do more harm than good.

A common misconception portrayed to us online is that in order to lose weight, we are required to cut out more & more foods. In reality, the facts tell us the opposite: having a long list of bad foods ultimately sets us up for failure, especially when it comes to sustainable weight loss.

What happens when we intentionally avoid our curated list of bad foods?

As much as a list of what to eat vs. avoid may sound incredibly tempting, this seemingly straightforward approach will end up creating more mess. Why is that though?

➡️ Restrictive eating leads to feelings of deprivation. So when we are avoiding a multitude of foods at once over time, we become more likely to break the diet rules as our body & mind push us toward stopping this sense of deprivation. This is otherwise known as the diet cycle. 

➡️ Categorising particular foods as forbidden (or good vs. bad) actually makes the forbidden foods more desirable in our mind. Think of it like the forbidden fruit concept. Once we are told we cannot have a certain food(s), it is almost inevitable that we will end up craving these foods more than we would otherwise.

➡️ This classification of good vs. bad foods also exacerbates a black & white mindset, meaning we are more likely to overeat or binge eat once the diet rules have inevitably been broken.

➡️ Over time we can develop a poor relationship with food & can develop strong feelings of guilt after eating certain foods. This can turn into a vicious cycle of seeing ourselves as being good or bad, reducing our overall self worth & confidence (which has been shown in itself to also negatively impact our ability to keep weight off in the long run). 

➡️ It is miserable, to say the least! Saying no to social events because you are trying to avoid a certain food can become extremely isolating & sad. Over time this very much takes a toll on our mental health & wellbeing.

So whilst we may have the best intentions to stop eating chocolate & lose weight, the end result is that we often end up eating way more chocolate afterwards, causing us to regain all the weight we lost plus more.

What can we do instead?

Here are a few of my favourite tips that can help you moderate your intake of a particular food, without completely excluding it. For example, if I was trying to moderate my intake of chocolate, I would try the following:
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1️⃣ Intentionally include chocolate within the week.
This means that I would create an allowance for certain days of the week that I would intentionally include some chocolate. Depending on how frequently I was eating it to start, I may look at intentionally allowing the chocolate every 1-2 days. This will reduce desirability over time as I will no longer be associating it as a bad food, therefore minimising cravings and chances of over consuming when the chocolate is around.
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2️⃣ Experiment with single serve portions to start.
When I allow the chocolate, I would first do so in individual, single serve portions. **Side note: I get it! It's cheaper/easier to get a block & just expect ourselves to snap off a row & forget about it. The thing is, that never happens though. I may always go back for more. So something needs to change.** On the days where I intentionally include some chocolate, I would make the effort to stop via the Service Station on the way home to buy a Freddo Frog or snack bar of chocolate, so it's not talking to me from the pantry afterwards. This will allow us to re build trust & control around the chocolate, so eventually we can have the block around! Small, gradual steps though is key.
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3️⃣ Look at other factors which may be adding to these cravings.
For example: am I eating enough to satiate myself earlier in the day? Am I eating frequently enough? At the right times? Inadequate fuelling can contribute to increased cravings for quick/convenient foods as our blood sugars & energy levels are thrown out of whack.Other things to look at may be: what is my mood like? Am I sleeping enough? Am I stressed? It sounds like a lot to monitor, I know! A simple way to keep track of this is through a simple food diary, where I could note down my dietary intake & any other factors in my day around that to identify trends and where the increase in chocolate intake may be seen. 

A sustainable weight loss eating pattern goes way beyond what you should vs. shouldn't eat. Setting ourselves up for success with a positive mindset is key to ensuring your weight related efforts stick. This is one of the many mindset concepts I explore within my Signature THE ANTI DIET METHOD.

Written by Bronwen Greenfield (APD).