what is the psycology behind cheating on a diet?
Discussion
weve all done it,
said sod it, and had a cake, or a beer,
but what is it that actually makes us quit for a moment and cheat and then gives us the guilt trip,
is it subliminal advertising? weak will power, the secret inner thought tht we are actually ok and dont want to be thinner?
advice and tips please had a brandy lasy night when i wasnt going to drink until champs league final.
said sod it, and had a cake, or a beer,
but what is it that actually makes us quit for a moment and cheat and then gives us the guilt trip,
is it subliminal advertising? weak will power, the secret inner thought tht we are actually ok and dont want to be thinner?
advice and tips please had a brandy lasy night when i wasnt going to drink until champs league final.
The problem is diets can go to the extreme, so by cutting out everything 'bad' just makes you think about it all the more and eventually it becomes obsessive so we give in. I have learned that if you truly want to lose weight it's best to cut down the 'bad' but not cut out.
There are many ways to do this.
E.g. A take away and and a beer on sat night but not during the week.
A small choc bar (e.e. a fudge, curly wurly) instead of a big chunky choc bar.
For me at work we have biscuits and chocs all the time on offer, rather than cut them out (because I know I'll break and binge) I will have an 'allowance'
I know the above sounds obvious but most of us become to strict and that's why we fail.
The other mistake we make is we have one bad day and think that's it so give up all together, instead of starting afresh the next day!
And of course exercise of some kind!
There are many ways to do this.
E.g. A take away and and a beer on sat night but not during the week.
A small choc bar (e.e. a fudge, curly wurly) instead of a big chunky choc bar.
For me at work we have biscuits and chocs all the time on offer, rather than cut them out (because I know I'll break and binge) I will have an 'allowance'
I know the above sounds obvious but most of us become to strict and that's why we fail.
The other mistake we make is we have one bad day and think that's it so give up all together, instead of starting afresh the next day!
And of course exercise of some kind!
j4ckos mate said:
weve all done it,
dont want to be thinner?
Nope, but I've changed a diet because I didn't think it was something that could be maintained in the long run, after losing the fat that I didn't want (most people would think I was mad as I wasn't fat but I could see a thin layer of fat that I just didn't like). Just look in the mirror before eating that pie/beer. Perhaps, every morning, stand in front of a mirror in your pants and take a good look. When you really want to change, you'll change.dont want to be thinner?
I used to have one Danish pastry a day when I joined one company. Damn that sandwich woman. And I noticed when I bent forward to put on my socks, if I wasn't wearing a top, I'd see a roll of fat that never used to appear. It never used to be there. At that moment, I decided to investigate diets, to understand the best ways of maintaining a decent weight and, generally, good health. I read many, many diet books. One of my bookshelves looks like it should be owned by an obese old woman. The thing that I learnt, the simply conclusion after investigating the various diets was this... when you see some a
hole reply in a thread "eat less, move more", you think they're being ignorant and taking the piss but they're actually right, even if they don't really know what they're talking about. Sure, there are little cheats like eating less of one type of food and more of another, but in the long run, the only way to maintain a decent size is to eat less and move more.Edited by RemainAllHoof on Saturday 7th May 11:19
The brain is set up to avoid pain.
To most people:
Not being able to eat chips/kebabs/beer is painful
Being overweight is painful
So it's simply a question of which of those is most painful at the time and the brain will avoid that one.
During a diet the person focuses on the pain of being overweight and makes this more painful in their mind than not being able to eat chips etc.
But occasionally the person focuses on the pain of not being able to eat the chips and this becomes more painful than being overweight. And guess what they do!
So it's all a question of what you focus on. And it's simple to change what you focus on...
If you're losing weight and find yourself wanting to eat a plate of chips or whatever, you'll often imagine yourself eating them along with their taste and feel before you actually do. Most people stop imagining there and eat them as that's what they are focusing on. To prevent that simply play the movie through to the end and focus on something more positive:
Imagine eating the chips and how they'll feel, taste and so on but keep the movie running. Imagine how you'll feel afterwards (not to make yourself guilty but to highlight how it is not in line with your better choices around food) through to the end where you get to the weight you want to be and how you want your body to look and feel. Focus on where you want to get to, make it very clear in your mind, the clothes you'll wear, how you'll feel about achieving it and the lure of the chips sinks into the background.
[/weight loss psychology lesson]
To most people:
Not being able to eat chips/kebabs/beer is painful
Being overweight is painful
So it's simply a question of which of those is most painful at the time and the brain will avoid that one.
During a diet the person focuses on the pain of being overweight and makes this more painful in their mind than not being able to eat chips etc.
But occasionally the person focuses on the pain of not being able to eat the chips and this becomes more painful than being overweight. And guess what they do!
So it's all a question of what you focus on. And it's simple to change what you focus on...
If you're losing weight and find yourself wanting to eat a plate of chips or whatever, you'll often imagine yourself eating them along with their taste and feel before you actually do. Most people stop imagining there and eat them as that's what they are focusing on. To prevent that simply play the movie through to the end and focus on something more positive:
Imagine eating the chips and how they'll feel, taste and so on but keep the movie running. Imagine how you'll feel afterwards (not to make yourself guilty but to highlight how it is not in line with your better choices around food) through to the end where you get to the weight you want to be and how you want your body to look and feel. Focus on where you want to get to, make it very clear in your mind, the clothes you'll wear, how you'll feel about achieving it and the lure of the chips sinks into the background.
[/weight loss psychology lesson]
What's wrong with chips, though? Just don't eat them out of a bucket... what kind of family eats a meal out of a bucket?
Put it this way, I eat chips once a fortnight and enjoy the experience. I usually eat it a day or two before a mad training session so could do with the extra fat stores to keep me going.
In other words, food is fuel, if I am going to have a spirited drive, then I have to fuel up before... and after. If I am just going to leave the car on the drive for a week, it doesn't need much fuel sitting in the tank. A vague analogy for the PH members!
Put it this way, I eat chips once a fortnight and enjoy the experience. I usually eat it a day or two before a mad training session so could do with the extra fat stores to keep me going.
In other words, food is fuel, if I am going to have a spirited drive, then I have to fuel up before... and after. If I am just going to leave the car on the drive for a week, it doesn't need much fuel sitting in the tank. A vague analogy for the PH members!
Edited by RemainAllHoof on Saturday 7th May 23:36
j4ckos mate said:
what is it that actually makes us quit for a moment and cheat and then gives us the guilt trip,
advice and tips please had a brandy lasy night when i wasnt going to drink until champs league final.
Wasn't knocking chips, just using them as an example to give my perspective on the OP's question. advice and tips please had a brandy lasy night when i wasnt going to drink until champs league final.
Bolognese said:
RemainAllHoof said:
In other words, food is fuel,
This is a good way to think of foodBecause there is not a fad "diet" in the world that is compatable with human nature. You need small pleasures in your life. It's part of your normal psyche. A decent diet sets asside times for moments of weakness... because there will be. It's a fact of being human.
Even the word "diet" is misused. A "Diet" isn't a temporary thing. There should be no need to chop and change "diets". There is only one diet. Yours.
Most of these fad diets and invented by scum who only want your money. Don't feel guilty about yourself for being normal. Kill the scum who think you should feel guilty instead. You'd be doing the world a favour. No, really.
Even the word "diet" is misused. A "Diet" isn't a temporary thing. There should be no need to chop and change "diets". There is only one diet. Yours.
Most of these fad diets and invented by scum who only want your money. Don't feel guilty about yourself for being normal. Kill the scum who think you should feel guilty instead. You'd be doing the world a favour. No, really.
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