If you’ve ever gone on a diet to lose weight, you know that no matter what the diet is there are some similarities.

There may be rules around when you can eat, what foods you can eat, how much you can eat… all of which have you step into a specific mindset around your body, food and eating.

The math is simple, really. Eat less = you will lose weight and weigh less.

I call this the dieting mindset.

The ever present influence of the dieting and weight loss world has impressed upon all of us that without this mindset, none of us can lose weight. And so, even thinking about trying to lose weight without this mindset conjures up a degree of fear in anyone who dares to think differently.

But is this mindset even accurate? Are the fears around never being able to lose weight, or even worse, gaining all the weight back, really true?

I say NO. No, they’re not.

Here’s the thing: The dieting mindset teaches us how NOT to eat.

But the act of eating is a necessary part of being in a human body. In order to live, we have to eat!

This is why dieting – especially long-term dieting – doesn’t work. Our biological needs cannot be ignored or suppressed for long. Eventually we are going to go off the diet, rebel against the rules, and do what we were made to do. EAT!

In order to sustainably lose weight, we have to be willing to let go of the dieting mindset that is all about how not to eat.

Instead, we have to be willing to learn how to eat – in a way that is relaxed, trusting, natural and nourishing. 

The dieting mindset doesn’t live in isolation.

It frequently comes with a certain degree of pressure, self-judgment, perfectionism, self-hate,  fear and stress.

None of these things help us to eat in a way that honors our hunger, supports vitality and allows us to find a weight that is healthy for us. They in fact do the opposite.

The dieting mindset has us constantly scrutinizing and mistrusting our bodies and judging how well we’re following the rules.

Eating from a peaceful place of deep listening and trusting the body is a vastly different experience.

And it’s one that we can sustain

So, can you let go of the dieting mindset and still lose weight?

Is it possible to shed the pressure and self-judgment and still reach your weight loss goals?

Absolutely.

In fact, I’m going to boldly say that shedding the dieting mindset might be the only way to sustainably lose weight and finally be free of the toxic practices that kept you stuck in yo-yo dieting hell.

Letting go of the dieting mindset will give you back to yourself. It will allow you to finally come home to your body and know how good and right your body and hunger are.

Learning how to eat for your unique body is something I wish we were all taught how to do.

But so many of us weren’t taught how to do this, much less how to eat in a way that feels good and allows us to feel right about feeding ourselves.

It’s time to drop the shame around eating and enjoying food and finally walk away from the dieting mindset that has kept you so trapped.

It’s time to come home to the wisdom of your body and what it truly means to be well-nourished and fed – and make self-honoring changes from this place.