Confession time: I had to be brutally honest with myself in order to write this article because I’ve told myself most of these lies at one time or another. The truth is that dieting isn’t easy. An even bigger truth is that if we want a figure we love then we have to make healthy eating a lifestyle. How many of these lies have you told yourself?
Commitment is harder with dieting than it is with dating, wouldn’t you agree? We want to commit to a diet, but we also want to enjoy pizza on Friday night and a cupcake at a birthday party. The truth is you can have little treats along the way if you eat healthy most of the time. Commit to healthy living and give dieting the boot. Think of it as a way of life instead of something that has a start and end date.
Yes, you do deserve to treat yourself at times! But it doesn’t always have to be with food. There are other types of stress relief that work better, such as exercise or talking to your best friend. It’s best to think of treats as an occasional but normal part of your diet rather than something that’s totally bad. Eating because you’re stressed never makes you feel better anyway.
There’s actually truth in this statement. One cookie won’t hurt that much. But can you stop with one? And how many times have you had a cookie today or this week? Those are hard but helpful questions to ask yourself.
I’m guilty of this one! I confess! I admit that I tell myself that my little iced coffee obsession doesn’t really count because it’s liquid. But the truth is we can drink ourselves right up to the next jeans side, ladies. Face the facts with me and log those liquid calories, too.
Listen up, moms! Are you finishing those last 2 nuggets or grilled cheese crusts on your little sweetie’s plate? I’ve been there! Those nibbles can add up to weight gain. I know it feels wasteful to throw them away but remind yourself that it’ll also be a waste when you can’t wear all the clothes you love and have to buy a bigger size.
Another blatant lie that I’ve told myself. Healthy foods truly are expensive. But so are bigger clothes and healthcare that you need because of issues with weight. I used to resist buying healthy foods, but I’ve finally realized it’s so worth it. It helps my health, my weight and my self-esteem to eat right.
Have you fallen for this one? It’s easy enough to do. You think about the fact that you’re eating a diet version of a cupcake so you feel like you can afford to have two. If you do that, you defeat the purpose of trying to eat the healthier version. Take a minute next time and reflect on this truth the next time you’re tempted. You can defeat temptation!
These are 7 blatant lies we tell ourselves about dieting. Which ones have you fallen for? You’re welcome to share what your struggles are.