3 Keys to 'Normal' Eating, from Diet Blog

By , SparkPeople Blogger
From our friends at Diet Blog

By Melanie Thomassian, R.D.

Do you feel like you've been on a constant diet-binge-diet roller coaster for as long as you can remember? Perhaps you can’t even imagine having a healthy relationship with food anymore.

Food obsessions can be hugely overwhelming, but you can find a way out. Here are three keys to becoming a "normal" eater:

1. Stop Eating When Full

Seems like pretty simple advice, but it is so easy to ignore that little voice in your head telling you to, "stop eating NOW!" However, eating more than you need makes you feel bloated, uncomfortable, and wrecked with guilt.

The secret is to listen to what your body is telling you, or "tune-in" to your level of satiety, if you like. That means you notice when you are starting to feel full, rather than eating mindlessly past that point.

The idea is to eat just enough food to provide the energy and nourishment you need to maintain good health.

Easier said than done, but re-educating yourself on what a “comfortable” amount of foods feels like in your stomach will help (try using the Hunger Scale). Also, making your dietary focus fresh, healthy, colorful, whole foods -- it's difficult to overeat on a diet like this.

2. It's OK to Enjoy Food!

For many people who struggle with their weight, the idea that there is a "perfect" way to eat can be their crippling factor. If this is you, you must stop striving for that perfection, because it doesn't exist.

Rather than using restrictive diets to help you lose weight, allow yourself all foods in controlled amounts -- I like the 80/20 rule. This is where 80 percent of the time you eat well, and 20 percent of the time you allow some treats.

In health, it's what you do consistently that matters. So, when you eat well most of the time, there is no need for guilt or thoughts of calories to evade your thoughts continually.

Remember, if you choose to have a little dessert one day, it doesn’t mean you’ve de-railed your diet… it just means you had some dessert. No big deal!

3. Don't Overthink Food

When you've battled with dieting for what seems like forever, you may find yourself thinking about food a lot of the time.

The best way to overcome this problem is to set a new goal to only think about food when it is time to eat. Then, once that meal is over, you don’t think about it again.

So, that means no stressing over what you will eat, and no stressing over what you ended up eating… just forget about it, learn from it if necessary, and move on.

Menu planning can be a huge help with this, because then you don't need to constantly wonder what to eat at your next meal, and you won't have to grocery shop everyday either, which is a hugh benefit for avoiding impulse buys.

So, what is your biggest challenge as you try to establish a "normal" eating pattern? Can you share your tips and experiences with us?

Melanie Thomassian is a registered dietitian and health writer. She regularly writes on her own blog Dietriffic.com, and she is editor and contributor at Diet Blog.