Benefits of Intentionally Skipping the Diet
I have heard many reasons why people do not follow their diets. One of the most quoted is “life gets in the way”. A wedding, bachelor party, or happy hour can upset even those with the highest willpower claims. Here is a solution so simple that it is often overlooked.
First, a hypothetical thought experiment.
John and Brad are identical twins. They live together, weigh the same (which is not surprising given that they have the same genes) and follow the same weight loss program. Their diet is tough. They gave up alcohol, processed food, and anything considered ” unclean .” It seemed like it paid off; after a month of aggressive dieting, they each lost 10 pounds.
There’s just one problem: a good friend’s wedding is just around the corner, and knowing how much food will be available, they don’t want to cancel their progress. At the wedding dinner, John and Brad go into a feeding frenzy. They eat the same foods and foolishly stuff themselves with the same calories.
Now their actions were identical until now, but the next day their fate takes two completely different turns. John is still in feeding frenzy mode, eating whatever is in sight, while Brad easily mounts his horse . Two months after the wedding, Brad ends up losing another 8 pounds while John eats himself up to where he started.
Brad did one thing – something so minor but essential to his success – differently from John. Brad was planning to fail.
The plan to fail
“Planning for failure” is a tactic I developed after reading Lyle MacDonald’s philosophy of ” diet breaks .” Sloppy diets. Not only are they difficult to stick to, but they are even more difficult to restart after you “fall off your horse”.
If you are an experienced nutritionist, then you know exactly what I am talking about. Like John in our example above, cheat days often turn into cheat weeks, which turn into cheat months, which turn into cheat years. (If you count, I’ve had about 17 years of cheating.)
That’s why when obesity researchers at Brown School of Medicine advisedparticipants to take a short break from their diet , they were surprised. Dieters not only did not gain weight during the break (compared to the control group), but they returned to the diet without problems. The simple instruction to dieters to take a break caused them to react in a very different way than usual.
What gives?
The exact mechanism is beyond the scope of this study, but McDonald has a viable explanation, which I confirmed after many interviews with clients: people sitting on a diet, maintain a sense of control during the intentional breaks.
Have the right mindset
Two people can perform the same actions, but because of their thinking, have completely different results. For example, I discussed how mindsets alone can determine the effectiveness of cardio for weight loss .
In some cases, there is a surprisingly inextricable connection between thinking and physiology. Surprising example: the amount of ghrelin , a hormone that controls hunger, that your body releases depends on your idea of food calories . The rationale for the study of “diet breaks” is one such case. In working with dieters, I have found that unplanned dieting is unmotivated, anxiety-provoking, and mind-draining. This is a big blow to the pool of willpower, self-control, and motivation that guides you towards your goals. Think back to the last time you accidentally went on a diet. Chances are, you felt guilt, self-loathing, and so on.
Legally planned (not currently rationalized) dieting is different; strategy and execution are in harmony. While you may feel physiological discomfort after something as serious as a cheat day, the psychological consequences listed above should be virtually nonexistent.
Where to go from here
So what does this all mean? Here’s what you need to do for long-term success:
- Look at your calendar 1-2 weeks ahead. Circle the dates when you have big food or alcohol events. Plan to fail these days and don’t rely on willpower.
- Don’t feel guilty about planned setbacks. It is important to separate the guilt from the food. Remember, you allow yourself a day off to eat whatever you want. Consider this part of your diet.
- You cannot plan for failure every day. A big failure once a week or once every two weeks is normal. If you have a few small events in one week (drinks with coworkers, a date at a fancy restaurant, etc.), then a few small setbacks are fine. For minor setbacks, simply “save up calories” for the exercise by sticking to lean proteins and fibrous vegetables while keeping your carb and fat intake low. This will keep you full and allow you to consume the majority of your daily calories for the event.
- Don’t step on the scales after major setbacks. You will likely gain a few pounds of water , which will disappear after 4-5 days. Peeping a scale can ruin your head and ruin the dissociation between food and guilt.
It’s tempting to say, “No, I’ll just go to the wedding and show some composure.” But don’t trust the amount of willpower and self-control that your “future” will have. Your “present” is in a completely different state than you are in the future, and it can be helpful to always assume that your future is unreliable. Remember that in the battle of human nature against self-control, human nature often wins.
Images ofChuck Olsen ,Teresa Robinson , Moian Brenn ,Edward Pulks .