In this post we’ll chat thru…

① WHY diets DON’T WORK
② Flipping to a REPLACING vs RESTRICTING MENTALITY
③ 10 HEALTHY SWAPS I’ve made in my journey to feel + live HEALTHIER

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I’ve worked with women side by side on their health journeys for over 10 years now. And regardless of how the conversation begins I can almost always guarantee that at some point the woman I’m working with will ask me about or gravitate towards the D work. Inevitably we go there and it makes sense because dieting has been sold as this default solution.

But ya’ll.

Repeat after me.

Diets. 👏🏼 Don’t. 👏🏼 Work. 👏🏼

When people think about DIETING, their minds tend to gravitate towards everything they will have to give up. But what if we didn’t have to have that mentality?! What if there was a better, more sustainable way for us to live healthy? There is. And I can’t wait to dive into how. Today we’re gonna chat thru WHY diets don’t work, how to flip our mentality from RESTRICTING to REPLACING, and 10 of my FAVE swaps I’ve made to live healthier. Let’s dive in!

5 REASONS WHY DIETS DON’T WORK

① Diets can lead to disordered eating or a bad relationship with food.

Restricting and counting things like macros or calories can lead to obsessive and disordered behaviors. Skipping meals. Then overeating to compensate. Ignoring hunger cues. Extreme exercise to burn off what you ate. Obsessing over a number on the scale. I’ll be real and say that these have all been red flags in my life when I’m headed down a toxic path that is damaging to my relationship with food.

② Dieting usually back fires and leads to weight gain vs weight loss post diet.

Isn’t it ironic {cue Alanis Morissette…😜} that what STARTS as a reason for weight loss ends up turning into weight gain down the road. You can diet and lose weight but the second you switch up your habits (ie start eating normal again) your body will react…which usually looks like gaining it all back. And maybe then some.

③ People usually get stuck in a “diet cycle.”

The “dieting cycle” is this vicious ride you get on that never. freaking. ends. The cycle begins with your temptation to diet, which we experience once we start to think “hmmm…maybe I need to lose some weight and pull back on my eating.” It rarely, if ever, comes from a healthy mindset, but rather a place of beating ourselves up. Once we begin starts the restriction where we don’t allow ourselves to eat certain foods bc we’re “on a diet.” After restriction we begin depriving ourselves which leads to cravings. The cravings almost become obsessive. That’s when the “should’s” come out…like “I should be good. I should stick to my diet. I shouldn’t eat that.” Again. Not from a healthy mindset, but rather a space where we aren’t good enough. This is a slippy slope ya’ll. The fifth part of the cycle is where we break down and give in. This can look like binging, overeating, or simply just going back to patterns that maybe weren’t serving us. It’s the “I’ll start over Monday” mentality. And the final part is the guilt and shame we feel afterward which leads us back to the top…temptation to start another diet. Friends. I’ve been in this cycle WAY TOO MANY TIMES in my life and I can still catch myself gravitating into it. Just know that you’re not alone and that I hope this blog helps you see a better way.

④ Diets only focus on food vs overall holistic health.

Just like I talk about in the SISTERHOOD MEMBERSHIP…there’s not just one form of self care and friends, there’s not just one form of health. We often only look at the PHYSICAL when it comes to how healthy we are or aren’t, but our overall health + wellness is actually broken down into 8 categories - physical, emotional, social, intellectual, occupational, environmental, spiritual, and financial health.

⑤ Diets aren’t one sized fits all…every body is different.

And lastly, every. body. is. different. We have different + unique health needs. Just bc the media is hyping gluten free doesn’t mean you have a gluten intolerance. Just bc an “influencer” is talking all about Keto doesn’t mean it’s right for YOU. This is where I have FUN with my food and use it as an opportunity to learn more about ME. What foods/drinks my body loves and what it doesn’t agree with. What I crave when I’m about to start my period vs what I crave at the top of my cycle. All of this matters and it’s unique to YOU so go out there and start exploring.

FLIPPING FROM RESTRICTION MENTALITY to REPLACING MENTALITY

I hope that list above helps you see how the diet / restricting mentality is not serving your LONG TERM HEALTH. One of the things that is important in my journey and something I preach to the women I work with is finding healthy swaps…replacing versus restricting and omitting.

I do not do well when I’m told (by myself or others) that I CANNOT HAVE something…and if you’re here I have a suspicion that the same is true for you, too. Instead I find that REPLACING less nutrient dense / healthy options with more nutrient dense / healthy options has made a world of a difference. In my overall health and also in my relationship with food + my own health.

Healthy swaps and REPLACING is a mindset shift. It involves educating myself and looking at ingredient labels. It involves slowing down and having an honest moment where I ask myself “Is this the choice I want to make?” Sometimes the answer is YES. And other times I realize I’m just trying to eat/drink my emotions and so my answer is a NO.

I’m not going to give up snacks. I’m not going to give up fun drinks + socializing. I’m not going to give up sweets. I am, however, going to educate myself on ingredients and find ones that keep me feeling + functioning at my best.

Now. Disclaimer. You’ve watched me go thru stints and challenges where I DO give up certain things (such as alcohol) for a period of time, like when I did 75 Hard. Challenges like that are helpful for me to BOUNCE BACK or take back control of something that maybe has gotten lax, but it’s NOT a sustainable way of living. To do a diet is not sustainable.

10 HEALTHY SWAPS YOU CAN START MAKING THIS WEEK

Swapping potatoes, rice, bread, etc for a veggie base like cauliflower rice.
Friends. I LOVE carbs. Like love them. A pool filled with mashed potatoes is my love language. And. I feel my best when I have more veggies in my day. One way to sneak them in is by swapping my carb base for a veggie one. When I make Salmon Curry Bowls I do this. Instead of rice, I put a cauliflower blend with peas and carrots and it’s AMAZING and I don’t miss the carb. Do I still eat carbs? You betcha. I just make sure I also get in veggies, too.
Swapping alcohol for sparkling water, kombucha, or mocktails.
I’ll be real…I don’t feel my best when I drink more than a glass or two. And as much as 24 year old Britt would be rolling her eyes at that statement…almost 40 year old Britt knows it’s true. And what I’ve learned is that I simply just want something FANCY when I’m socializing. Most bars will make mocktails for you (or even have them on the menu!) and if I’m at home I love making my own mocktails, pouring a sparkling water in a wine glass, or having a glass of kombucha to wind down.
Swapping eating lunch out for prepping + taking your own.
This was a HUGE shift for me…not just on my physical health journey, but on my WALLET, ya’ll. It’s so easy to spend $10-$20 out on lunch and repeat that 5 days/week that’s anywhere from $50-$100 you’re tossing. Every Sunday I prep lunches for the week. It doesn’t have to be mind blowing…you can start with leftovers from dinner the night before.
Swapping buying a drink from a vending machine to carrying a bottle with me everywhere.
This is so simple, ya’ll, but it’s RARE you find me out of my house without a water bottle. This helps me hydrate all day AND keeps me from grabbing something sugary out of a vending machine when I get thirsty. This is my FAVE bottle.
Swapping coffee house drinks with homemade JOE.
This has been a process for me, but I promise it’s a game changer. Again, on the physical side but also on the financial. And I get it…you like the flavors and choices. But Starbucks and other coffee shops use SO. MANY. CHEMICALS. in their drinks. They are loaded with extra sugar and zero nutritional value so this is one that I promise has it’s benefits. At first I needed lots of sugary creamer with my homemade coffee, but I slowly pulled back and then started making swaps…first with sweetened almond milk, then with unsweetened, and now I’m good with coffee black. And PS…I still give myself a coffee out every week as a little treat, it’s just not a daily thing.
Swapping soy/processed plant based options for cleaner choices.
Our home is mostly meatless. We just feel better when we don’t consume a lot of meat. But I’ll be real…there was a season I was buying so. much. Impossible. “meat.” and one simply flip of the package can show you that it’s really NOT a healthy option. So I found a better brand that I love to use AND it’s delicious (win win). It’s called Abbott’s Plant Based (you can find where they sell it near you). The ingredients are super clean. For example, in the “ground beef” the ingredients are Filtered Water, Pea Protein, Tomato Paste, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Porcini Mushroom, Sea Salt, Onion Powder, Apple Cider Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Mustard Seed, Vinegar, Ginger Root, Coriander, Thyme. Pretty awesome, right?!
Swapping regular pasta for a protein pasta.
Kinda on the same note as above…with removing meat from our household, we are super conscience of making sure we are getting protein (which I can easily not consume bc like I said in point one…I love carbs 😜). A simple swap is grabbing a brand like Banza and using that in place of our regular pasta. It’s gluten free, if that’s on your radar and it’s filled with protein bc they swap the wheat for things like chick peas or lentils.
Swapping microwave popcorn for popping my own.
Okay this one might seem ridiculous but I LOVE popcorn…esp at night as a snack. And back when I was a teacher I always had bags on hand to microwave for snacks. Nowadays I pop my own. I grab the popcorn in bulk and keep it in a cute jar and then I simply make it over the stove with a tbsp of coconut oil. Once it’s done I sprinkle with Himalayan salt and some shaved parm and it’s UH MAZE ING. But. I get it…if that’s a whole lot for you, there’s a brand called “LESSER EVIL” popcorn that is really good (+ good for you!).
Swapping vegetable oil for olive, avocado, and coconut oil.
With my cooking, yes. And also when I’m looking at the ingredient labels. Chips made in vegetable oil are highly inflammatory on our bodies, ladies. And while I LOVE my salty snacks I also don’t love the feeling of being bloated and blah all the time. Brands like Siete make really yummy chips but with way better ingredients.
Swapping out eating out for making a meal plan and cooking from home.
IDK why it means so much to me, but I LOVE being able to have a plan for the week and bless my family with home cooked meals. It’s the idea of bringing us BACK to the table and BACK to conversation. I know what’s going in my food. I feel better when I cook from home. And again, my wallet is fuller. And then…YES…when we DO go out to eat…we make it a special occasion and find a new restaurant with an awesome menu to try or hit up a fave spot that we know is gonna satisfy.

NEED MORE HELP?!

I get it and I’ve got you. 😉 Working towards being YOUR BEST SELF can be tough stuff, but one of my fave places to start is to use a tracker. Habits STICK when we repeat them over time, right? And tracking my BEST SELF habits daily (whether it’s water, how I show up in my mornings, or even tracking the various ways I’m caring for me + others day in and day out) makes a difference. I’ve put together my FAVE self care habit trackers in a ✨FREE✨ bundle just for you. #you’rewelcome

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