Dr. Irene's Five Pitfalls of Dieting

Irene Berman-Levine, PhD, RD
July 29, 2004

This is the eighth extract from Dr Irene Berman-Levine's book, "Dr Irene's Nutrition Tidbits". You can order the book, which is packed with easily digested research news, tips, menus, and recipes, for US$16 by clicking here . Robert Griffith, Editor.

Here are five major pitfalls for everyone struggling to keep to a diet regime:

1. "All or nothing" thinking

• either ON or OFF a diet
• a food is either good or bad
• I did good or bad today

Solution: Life is all shades of gray, even though we would like the security of "yes and no", "good or bad" etc. Food choices should not be agonizing because we are "on" or "off" a specific diet eating plan. Instead, accept that most people cannot eat everything that they want in any quantity. Take an adult approach to food. Decide the foods that are most nourishing to your body. Keep foods that you enjoy, but your body doesn't, to a minimum. For example, if you love cheese but know you cannot control quantity, and you are struggling with weight gain, accept that cheese should be reserved for situations where you can control the quantity. Listen to your body and learn to hear its signals. Eat just until satisfied, never until full, and include the wide variety of food nature intended us to eat, such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

2. Allowing the scale to determine if you are going to have a good or bad day

Solution: If you use a scale at all, only use it to help you face reality if you are in denial. I find most people don't need scales, they know when their clothes are starting to get tight or they are eating in a manner that will result in weight gain. If you don't like what it says, don't let it determine how your day goes. Instead, take a positive step towards changing the scale, such as taking a walk, and move on. Beating yourself up just results in more guilt. This will usually results in feeling worse, which only leads you to the chocolates to try and feel better.

3. Short term thinking instead of long-term thinking

• "I want to eat this right now" instead of "if I wait until I have time to sit down, I can really enjoy every bite"
• "I need to get into that dress by next month" instead of "I'm putting an extra pair of sneakers in my car right now so that I can walk over the lunch-hour at least twice a week"
• "I'm going to finish this pie just because I never get blueberry pie" instead of "I'm really going to feel too full if I finish this pie"

Solution: Try to focus on long-term thoughts instead of instant gratification. Visualize how good you will feel about your decision later if you avoid overeating.

4. Negative instead of positive thoughts

• "I feel deprived because I can't eat that dessert" instead of "I'll feel better tonight if I skip the dessert as I'm not truly hungry"
• "I can't eat what everyone else eats" instead of "My body just feels better if I don't overload it with calories and fat"

Solution: Try not to beat yourself up. If you are upset with yourself over a specific food choice or the quantity you ate, turn it into a positive learning experience. For example, if you ate a large piece of cheesecake because it was left over from a party, change your thoughts to "It's difficult for me to be alone in the house with leftover cheesecake. Next time I have leftovers from a party that tempt me to overeat, I'm going to send them home with my guests or throw them away immediately." (If you cannot throw it away because you would be "wasting" food, remember, you are not feeding starving children in India when you eat it yourself.)

5. Thinking there is one magic way to eat

Solution: Each person is different and there is no magic way to eat. Recognize this. The key to good nutrition is a variety of foods and those that try to find an exact "diet" usually compromise both their nutritional status and the many joys that food brings to life.

Order Dr Irene's book, which is packed with nutritional news, tips, menus, and recipes, for US$16 by clicking here

Dr Irene is also the author of a free newsletter which helps you understand the confusing world of nutrition and motivates you to choose healthy foods. You can sign up for the newsletter by clicking here

Source

• I Berman-Levine PhD, RD. "Welcome to Dr Irene's Nutrition Tidbits" 2002 Nutrition Program Planning Inc., PO Box 60748, Harrisburg, PA 17106-0748, USA

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