How to deal with diet saboteurs?

March 28. 2022

Just when you decide to lose weight, begin with your journey, or make some progress with it, you encounter diet saboteurs. It may seem like everything, and everyone is working against you and your weight loss. That may be one of the biggest reasons people give up and fail the weight loss process.

Losing weight can be done with diet changes, working out, supplementation, and medical solutions like Lipo Ignite® injections. Still, the diet plays a significant role in the weight loss journey.

Diet saboteurs come in different forms. They can be things, situations, people, and even yourself. Often the people you spend the most time with may create inevitable high-risk eating situations.

What can be classified as diet sabotaged situations

Large portions

Whether you’re making your own meals or eating at a restaurant, you have to remember that your eyes are bigger than your stomach in a hunger situation. You eat everything on your plate because who likes to leave half or some of their portion on the plate. And let’s be honest, it’s hard to stop. This way, you end up having lots of unnecessary calories that keep you bouncing in the same place with numbers on the scale.

That’s when meal planning and meal prepping are helpful – you have pre-measured portions. As for eating at a restaurant, try ordering the smallest portion size available (or half a standard portion). It may appear the portion size is too small to match your appetite, but you need far less food to fill you up than you think. And of course, you can always get more food if you’re still hungry.

Large packaging

You may think that packaging size doesn’t affect your journey, but it makes it harder for you to control your eating. Yes, the price is always better, but you have to think about yourself and your goals in this situation. Some sacrifices have to be made. If it’s possible – buy smaller packages. If not, buy the big one and separate it into smaller servings into containers.

Plate size

We always love to see our plates full. If you take a big one, someone (or you) pours a larger amount of food in it, and you’ll eat all of it. If the plate is smaller, your brain will see it as full in the same way as the big one, but you’ll end up eating much less than from a bigger plate. Our brain is a magnificent organ, but it still can be tricked.

Buffets

You paid for it, so why not eat until you explode, right? Our brain is doing it again. All that food in front of you, the options, and the smells make it harder to resist. So the best thing you can do is avoid it.

It seems like our brain plays a big part in these situations. Sometimes it can be one of the primary diet saboteurs. Once you learn how to trick it, your journey gets a lot easier.

How to deal with human diet saboteurs

Explain why you want to lose weight

At the beginning of your journey, you set your goals and reasons why you’re doing it. Not everyone gets the struggle of losing weight and the effort needed to do so.
You may or may not have already told your friends and family, but never mind, tell them again and as many times as needed until they truly understand you.
You can turn your saboteurs into supporters by explaining your reasons (but not justifying yourself). And hey, maybe someone will join you.

Keep everyone who supports you close and those who don’t far away

In many other life situations, you’re advised to keep your enemies closer as they can boost your motivation and make you push harder. But when we talk about diet saboteurs, this is not a great idea. Sometimes it’s necessary to avoid the negativity rather than face it. That’s why we recommend you surround yourself with a team of supporters and distance yourself from saboteurs.

Always say thank you

Yes, throughout this journey, you will have many temptations. Especially with your loved ones because people often show love through food. And many major life situations and their celebration are associated with food.
It’s hard to turn down people who mean a lot to you and put their time and effort into making that food.
Now we get back to the previous tip – thank them for their effort and explain why losing weight is so important for you.
If you want to avoid explaining yourself to people, don’t say you’re not allowed to eat something. You can always say that you’re not feeling hungry at the moment. But always make sure you thank anyone and everyone.

Don’t make a big deal about your diet

It typically goes like this: the more you talk about it, the more people will pay attention. And the more you talk about it, you’re going to struggle more because you become aware of all the restrictions you’re making. It can make you crave the food you try so hard to avoid.

Confirming your saboteurs

People who are classified as diet saboteurs may do it because they feel guilty or don’t understand your “vows.” You may be able to empathize with them if you understand where that’s coming from. And you have to learn that you’ll have saboteurs in almost every part of your life.

Prepare what will you say

Because this can be a trigger for many fights and misunderstandings, you should prepare what you can say to avoid it and calmly explain everything. The speech should be direct and straightforward yet polite.

Hire a coach

There are many reasons why you should work with a coach. He gives you advice on your meals, workouts, weekly plan and helps you stay motivated. At our weight loss clinic, we offer this type of professional help.

You can always google healthier restaurants, so you can recommend the place when your friends suggest going for lunch. As for some family gatherings, be mindful. Be aware of how much food and how many drinks you had. Try not to eat straight out of a bowl or a cooking dish; instead, pour it on your plate. Fill your plate with vegetables and salad as much as you can.

If you can’t avoid some situations, you can bring your own snacks or try Myoden as it can reduce appetite.

Final thoughts

Diet saboteurs are the sneaky way that excess calories find a way to your body and jeopardize your diet. Being aware of the ways you can “fight” them helps you stay on track and continue towards your goals.

Don’t let anyone shake your intentions, needs, and goals. Always stay firm on your grasp, attitude, and meaning behind your weight loss journey. No reason can be marked as stupid, boring, or any other word. And remember that it’s not rude to leave food on your plate or say no.

Talk to your friends and family. Let them know you need their support. Work through ways they can help you. That can be a way to start new traditions. Identify the most-challenging scenarios you can face, think of your responses and strategies, and save them for future situations. Please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime you need help and support because having support can only benefit your weight loss journey.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.