Key Concepts Index

Eat like a healthy person - Don't diet!

Make friends with your food. It can be your best ally on the road to recovery.

When we think of losing weight we commonly think of going on a diet. This is no surprise of course. Dieting is after all a major industry. We grew up with the concept of dieting to lose weight. Even the medical community has bought into this idea. Yet, if diets are the way to lose weight, then why is there an epidemic of obesity? There's something wrong with this picture.

Eating plans that are based on rigid rules and deprivation don't work—at least not for the greatest majority. When we say we "can't have" particular foods or have lists of "forbidden foods", all we are doing is setting ourselves up to crave them. The deprivation and restriction of traditional diets are devastatingly difficult for a person with binge eating disorder. They are exactly what leads to a binge. Serious restriction of calories inevitably encourages binge eating because of the physiological pressures to eat. Even if you do lose weight using one of the popular diets, what happens after the diet is over?

Eat to lose weight

The first and most important step in preventing my long time pattern of yo-yo dieting was to eliminate the artificial boundary between dieting and normal healthy eating—weight loss and weight maintenance. From the start, I had to consider my new healthy way of eating a lifestyle change, not a diet. Diets don't cure Binge Eating Disorder, they exacerbate it.

A flexible and compassionate eating plan based on positive healthy goals is needed. Our food should please the senses so we enjoy the experience of eating. An eating plan based on what we can have and not what we can't have. The idea is to make the majority of the calories you consume, health promoting and healing calories. Calories that fuel your system optimally, reduce the risk for disease, and supply it with all the nutrients it needs to heal and metabolize extra fat efficiently. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and whole grain products, lean fresh meats and fish, and other whole natural foods promote good health. The calories they contain are packed with good wholesome nutrition. And, when you eat primarily that kind of food, it's very hard not to start shedding extra weight.

These are the kinds of foods that were commonly eaten only a few short generations ago when obesity was much less common. Instead of dieting, simply eat primarily healthy delicious natural foods.

Every time you eat something, ask yourself, "Is this enhancing my health or killing me?" Instead of trying to figure out how much "junk" you can squeeze into a day's allotted calories, let go of the obsession with counting calories and simply eat primarily whole real food. Foods that are life affirming and natural.

Listening to your body

People without eating disorders intuitively know how to eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. They are in tune with the needs of their body. Our body's have an innate wisdom that we can reconnect with. Overcoming compulsive overeating for the long term (once and for all) requires getting in touch with and honoring our hunger and satiety signals. Diets and rigid food plans only serve to bypass these signals. They are attempts at "white knuckle" control.

We can begin to reconnect with our hunger and satiety signals by:

• Rejecting the diet mentality.
• Journaling.
• Getting all of our nutritional requirements met.
• Practicing mindful eating.
• Focusing on getting healthy instead of weight loss.
• Becoming more active.
• Being patient and compassionate with ourselves.

If you are going to overeat, try and make sure it's foods like fresh broccoli, spinach, apples, fish, oatmeal, and squash, instead of pudding, cake, fried chicken, pizza, and potato chips. You will begin to lose weight and at the same time you will be learning a new way to live. If you do binge or eat a bunch of junky foods, know that it's ok. You're an adult; you don't have to feel bad or guilty. Just move on. One binge or indulging in some junk food for lunch isn't a big deal when you keep the bigger picture in mind. A healthy diet can include some less than nutritious foods. Over time, it gets better.

• Key Concepts Index
• First Things First – Establishing a stable pattern of regular eating.
• Refuse to be "Powerless" — Realize that you do have choices. Don't give your power away.
• Become Health Centered – Focus on improving health. Weight loss is a byproduct.
• Keep A Journal Of Your Foods And Moods – Gaining awareness is empowering.
• Eat Like A Healthy Person – Eat healthy whole natural foods now.
• Empower Yourself – Use every tool and resource necessary.
• Educate Yourself – Become an expert on nutrition. Forget what the diet gurus say.
• Don't Go Hungry – Eat your way to optimum health. Hunger only leads to binges.
• Act As If – Act yourself into a new way of thinking. Action precedes motivation.
• Dump Perfectionism – Progress is good enough. We learn from our mistakes.
• Easy Does It – Practice moderation and have realistic goals. Practice self-compassion.
• One Day At A Time – Focus on today and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

Dave's web site is for informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as medical advice or to replace consultation with a professional dietician, nutritionist, physician, or mental health professional. None of the information presented on this web site is intended to diagnose, prescribe, or to administer to any medical ailments or conditions.