Dieting is generally outcome driven – pick your goal weight / body fat % / clothing size etc and then try a variety of diets to get there and stay there.
The diet rules picked up along the way tend to drive disconnection from what you need.
This might look like:
- eating less than you’re hungry for
- restricting foods that you love
- stopping emotional eating
- choosing exercise instead or resting or catching up with friends / family
It might also be doing none of these things but judging yourself because you feel like you should be.
A lot of diets don’t work long-term because physical, emotional, and social needs don’t disappear when you stop attending to them:
- hunger increases in response to not eating enough
- restriction leads to feelings of deprivation (and guilt when you do eat those foods)
- unmet emotional needs intensify
- tired bodies get injured or sick
Shifting the focus away from specific body goals creates space to reconnect with your bodies natural cues – from “will this help me lose weight?” to “what do I actually need right now?”
You might find they’re not always the same thing.