Breaking the dieting cycle

Last week I was asked the question, “How did you stop dieting and get to a place with food where you are now?”

I had to give my answer some thought.

I knew it hadn’t happened overnight, going from secret binge-eating to feeling calm when alone with a bag of giant cookies. So how did I get here?

Full disclosure. Leaving a stressful job and taking anti-anxiety meds made a massive difference in helping with the triggers for my dodgy eating behaviours.

But even in the two years between leaving teaching and starting on the medication, I was in a very much better place with the way I (ab)used food. 

How to stop dieting

If I could pinpoint one thing that made a massive difference, it was, bizarrely, eating more.

What does that mean, and how can that be right?

The problem was that I would start each morning with the (misguided) best intention to eat very little during the day so that I could manage my weight. 

I’d choose low calorie breakfasts (two Weetabix or one piece of Marmite toast or just a black coffee). I’d then struggle through the morning on more coffee or maybe a couple of rice cakes.

Lunch would be outwardly healthy to make sure my lovely colleagues wouldn’t notice I had a problem. A veggie filled pitta, a mug of homemade soup, a 250kcal John West tuna lunch pot, a small tub of leftovers. Still all around the 300kcal mark, which was absolutely not enough to fuel my afternoon.

By the time I left work at about 6pm, I already knew I’d be stopping off at the supermarket. I’d buy a heck-ton of crap to pack into myself in the 10 minute drive home.

Eat more, and better

Thankfully, my change in career taught me that a higher calorie, protein-rich filling breakfast would set the tone for steadier, healthier eating patterns throughout the day. For savoury, it was mega sandwiches of eggs, avo and mushrooms on seeded granary bread. For something sweet, porridge with peanut butter and banana, or fat-free Greek yoghurt with berries, nuts and seeds. They all keep energy, concentration and joy levels up where they should be.

To avoid over-eating in the evening, the best thing is to eat enough during the day so you’re not crazy hungry later on.

Top tip – don’t do what I did, and assume that for weight loss, the fewer calories the better. We all deserve to be well-nourished and happy, and even if we are trying to lose weight that absolutely still applies.

Ideally, just like for breakfast, you want a combo of lean protein (meat, fish, diary, plant-based), healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds) and fibre (fruit, veg, wholegrains).

Awesome lunch ideas

So, how about:

• pasta salad with ham/tuna/feta, butter beans, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, sweetcorn, pumpkin seeds. Add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil
• wholemeal wrap or pitta with loads of crudités, smooshed black beans and hummus
• mega sandwich of a seeded wholemeal bread with chicken/tuna/cream cheese and fun stuff. Think gherkins, grated carrot, rocket, watercress, other salad bits. Make it so big you have to climb it
• high-protein soups
• lovely lentils mixed with loads of colourful veg. Go extra sexy with pomegranate, jumbo raisins  and sunflower seeds, add baked sweet potato and a dollop of creme fraiche

These take minutes to prepare in advance, so to be satisfied and smug, get them ready the night before!

Find more healthy lunch ideas here. Remember to watch the condiments as they can add extra calories that we don’t always notice (yes, mayo, I’m looking at you).

And to really focus on how to stop dieting and eat well to support weight loss, why not book a Clarity Coaching Session to plan your day in the best way for you?