Many people have the idea that in order to lose weight, they have to completely stop eating the foods they love. They believe that they will have to eat cardboard and rice cakes for the rest of their lives. But going to a healthier diet does not mean that you cannot eat tasty foods. There are so many combinations of vegetables, meats, nuts, and seeds that you can combine into tasty low-carb treats. 

What I often tell my clients is not that they have to give up donuts, cinnamon sticks, pretzels, and tacos forever. But we work on creating a food plan that includes foods that they love, while also avoiding the foods that promote weight gain. Over time, as the weight begins to fall, the desire for sugary treats, desserts, and other foods that promote weight gain actually does begin to dissipate. The urges do eventually go away, almost like magic.

But when someone first comes to me and I mention avoiding sugar and flour, they look at me like I just yanked their security blanket. They immediately think, no ice cream, cake, bagels, cookies, EVER!! Right away thoughts of deprivation and fear of withdrawal begin to stop them in their tracks.

But the tool that I share with them is how to allow an urge. When we have an urge, there are three ways we can respond:

1) Give in and obey it.

2) Resist it.

3) Allow it

Giving in to the urge is simply maintaining the status quo. If we continue to eat the way we have always eaten, we will continue to get the results we currently have. That is not the best solution to drive change

Resisting an urge is using willpower to suppress it. I liken this to holding a beach ball under water. We can hold it down for so long, but then eventually, it comes rushing up to the surface like a volcano. The frustration with many fad diets is that they restrict foods. People can only go so long without, and eventually, the desire and the urges rise again to the surface. If they have no tools to handle the urges, they will give in.

So what I do with my clients is teach them to allow the urge, not to try to suppress it. This does not mean give in and eat off their food plan. It actually means to befriend the urge. Sit with it. Recognize it is there. Acknowledge it. See it as normal. But do not answer it. 

My clients learn how to allow urges. They take back their power over the urge. They learn to casually observe and see it for what it is — an emotion. And as with all emotions, they pass. My clients learn to allow the urge and let it pass. After this continues for a while, the urges come less often, the intensity lessens, and eventually they stop. I can attest to this fact. I can order an un-sweetened coffee at Starbucks and walk out without also buying a sugary dessert. 

If you would like to explore how to lose weight without abandoning the foods you love, private message me for a free consultation and see if working with a coach is the answer to getting the results you desire.

SAVE THE DATE: March 28, 2019 Webinar: “Why we Get Fat”