The Biggest Mistake People Make When Trying to Lose Weight

In Andie Mitchell’s book, It Was Me All Along, she talks about how, when she was overweight, she had this idea that thin people only ate salads, vegetables, and super healthy “clean” foods. She also believed that some women were just super lucky and could “eat whatever they wanted” and not gain any weight. She thought that she was cursed, and had to eat boring, super small portions of food in order to be thin. She thought she would feel hungry & deprived. Little did she know, that wasn’t true! And she talks about that in the rest of her book as well. I recommend reading it!

Today, I want to talk about something that is on my heart. That is, how to eat in order to be thin. What I really want you to get here is that you can eat in moderation and still be thin! By “thin,” what I mean is: to be in great shape for YOUR OWN body. I don’t mean the same thin as the next girl. Our bodies were all designed differently and that is such a blessing. Let’s respect all bodies here in this post. Health at every size is absolutely possible, and is the goal.

What I DO NOT want you to leave here thinking is that you need to eat an itsy bitsy salad, hold the dressing, in order to lose weight/be fit/thin/comfortable in your body.

NO. You do not have to do that! Moderation is key!

Here’s what will make you overweight:

• • eating an entire pizza in one sitting, and doing this regularly

• • eating huge amounts of sweets in one sitting, regularly

• • eating/grazing/snacking/staying full all day long, regularly

• • driving through several different fast food places and absolutely stuffing yourself, regularly

• finding yourself binge eating comfort foods to calm your emotions, regularly

Here’s what moderation and being your healthiest weight looks like:

• • eating about three regular meals per day + a snack or two

• • having the snack(s) when you feel that you need it/them

• • filling your life with non-food sources of nourishment & feeling fulfilled by life

• • moving your body any way you’d like to as a way of life (this doesn’t mean slaving away in the gym – this means standing up and walking to your co-workers desk instead of IM’ing them; taking walks for breaks as you need them; parking farther away, regularly; taking the stairs, regularly…)

• making modifications to your food (remember this post?) to make it delicious & of high quality

Here’s what moderation and being your healthiest weight does not look like:

• • eating itsy-bitsy salads for lunch and dinner

• • killing yourself with cardio

• • drinking protein shakes for breakfast

• • no sweets at all

• • low calorie everything

• • fat free everything

• • no more fun parties

• • no more pleasure in food

• giving up all of your favorite indulgences

No. The above. That’s a recipe for disaster. A recipe to drive you right into a place where you’re feeling lost & unhappy :(.

The biggest mistake that people make when trying to lose weight:

…thinking that they have to give up everything they love in exchange for small portions of super clean, plain foods.

HOW. BORING!

You can still have your favorite foods! Just eat them differently!

Examples:

• • I used to eat two breakfast burrito’s because “they tasted good.” I would continue snacking throughout the day even when I wasn’t hungry because “it all tasted good and seemed like a fun thing to do.” –> Now, I enjoy about 3/4 of my breakfast burrito, and save the rest for later. Sometimes, I finish the whole thing, and that’s okay too! Most of the time, I’m satisfied until my actual hunger hits again.

• • I used to drink up to 5 single serving bottles of orange juice per day, mostly because “it tasted good” plus a few cans of Sprite or Root Beer here and there… –> Now, I keep my blender bottle full of water with me everywhere I go. I crave and love water and don’t really enjoy the taste of soda these days. If I get a random craving for soda when I’m eating out, I usually just use Marco’s cup, have a few sips of whatever sounds good, and then return to my water. More than a few sips just doesn’t appeal to me these days.

• I used to get seconds of everything just because “it all tasted good.” –> Now, I remember that I can get that food again anytime I want it (& feel hungry). I enjoy a portion that feels good, and feel calm knowing that I could get this same meal tomorrow if I want to.

Foods I’ve brought into my diet these days:

• • more fruits & veggies, but not ONLY fruits and veggies. I often have them as a compliment to a meal.

• • lots and lots of filtered water. I crave it & love the taste these days!

• • these days I know to always focus on quality > calories. Always get the food with more flavor and higher quality over opting for the “low-cal” version – forget “low-cal.”

• jeeze… there are so many things that I enjoy now!

Foods I’ve kicked out of my diet:

• there are many foods I can think of that I don’t really eat anymore, but that IS NOT because I am “not allowed to have them.” Therefore, there are NO foods that I am not allowed to have. If I don’t have a food, it’s because I’ve lost my love for that food by allowing myself to have it in moderation, only to discover that I don’t actually like it. I focus on adding in REALLY delicious foods, and the rest crowds out on it’s own…

These days…

I focus on what my body feels like. I feed her when she’s hungry. When she’s tired, I let her take a break (and this doesn’t mean eating every time I take a break, which we’re all really, really used to!). I actually allow my body to lay down and rest, or, step outside and get some fresh air. I treat my body well, I let her move as much as she can handle, and I am constantly looking to satisfy her mindfully.

*Note*

This didn’t happen overnight. This happened with support, making many mistakes, and learning repeatedly what feels the best – which only re-enforced what I knew felt best for my body.

Please, please, please… do not think that you need to give up delicious, full of flavor, crazy satisfying & comforting foods in order to lose weight. You do not – that is a lie. You only need to learn how to create a different mindset around those foods, and begin to see them differently (the goal: they are a joy, but they’re not your ONLY joy!).

I’m here to support you.

xo, your coach