Be More than a Person on a Diet
One of the most annoying things about being on a diet is that simply thinking about dieting makes you want to eat more. This behavior is hard-wired into us, for when our ancestors were faced by the prospect of famine, those who ate everything they could were the people who survived.
This backfires today, for our over-eating hurts us. A trick to losing weight is to occupy your body and mind with activities and thoughts which have little or nothing to do about food, and to focus on them instead.
So, find things which you like to do that have nothing to do with food. Here are some ideas to help you get started:
Create something. Perhaps you can do this through work; perhaps you can do it through painting, or music, or some other art form. Perhaps you want to sort through your digital photos and create an album. Perhaps you want to work on your garden.
Meditate or pray. Light a candle and spend some time thinking good thoughts, according to your own habits and beliefs.
Chat with a friend. Pick up the phone and place that phone call. Ask them how they are doing, and listen.
Go to the library. Many libraries won’t allow you to bring food or drinks, so if you spend time in the library you’ll be away from refrigerators and restaurants. Check the information at the library for lectures, book clubs and other activities.
Buy yourself flowers. Instead of thinking, “If I lose six pounds I’ll reward myself with a latte or a pair of tight jeans,” focus on getting something that has nothing to do with food or the size of your body.
Listen to music. Pick an old favorite which you haven’t heard in a while, or try something new. If you can, dance to it.
Get a massage. In the past, massages were associated with either sex shops or incense and new age, but they have been main stream for a while. Furthermore, massages are extremely good for you, and they are pleasant and have zero calories.
Learn something new. You could take a class, watch an educational television show or simply visit a website that has nothing to do with food.
Make your own list which is suited to your own tastes and hobbies, and put effort into doing them. Yes, you’ll still have to use dieting tricks to eat smaller portions, but your life will concentrate on fulfillment instead of on deprivation. Besides, at the end of each day, do you want your most important memory to be, “I stayed on my diet?” It’s well and good but your life should be about more than that. Paradoxically, by focusing your mind on body on something else besides dieting, eating healthy amounts becomes easier.