11/08/2020
THE SINGLE GREATEST DIET HACK 🤯
The emotional challenges of a weight-loss journey can take a toll. For some, obsessing over calorie counting and weighing every single gram of food increases cortisol levels (aka the ‘stress hormone’) and makes you feel more stressed out, according to a study in Psychosomatic Medicine. “When you’re going too hard, too fast, you’re even more prone to mood swings,” says Rickel. Aiming for a calorie deficit that is too steep, cutting out entire food groups, restricting yourself to very narrow eating windows, or avoiding social situations that involve food can make you feel deprived, edgy and low on self-esteem. When it becomes too difficult to stick with such an impossible program, you inevitably violate your own rules, and painful feelings of guilt and shame often follow, leading to cycles of yo-yo dieting and weight gain over time.
This can be combated with a very specific psychological hack and it’s so powerful:
FOCUS ON ADDING INSTEAD OF SUBTRACTING ⭐️
To avoid the deprivation and FOMO [fear of missing out] that can accompany a weight-loss attempt, it is important to focus on what additions you’re making to your life, not what you’re giving up. That means filling your plate with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, proper vitamin supplementation, proteins and healthy fats, all of which can help support your weight-loss efforts. To keep stress levels low, make sure you put pleasant and energizing activities on your calendar, like fun workouts you actually enjoy. 🧡🧡🧡