Part 1 - Say YES instead of NO
The first thing I want you to do is to stop removing anything from your diet…and focus on ADDing foods instead.
This is powerful because you’re saying yes instead of no
I think this needs repeating – say YES instead of no!
Most diets will try to teach you the opposite, they ask you to say no A LOT. They teach you about “willpower” and encourage you to find it deep inside yourselves so you can power through and say no when offered “bad” foods. (“bad” foods meaning anything they’ve deemed as being off of their prescribed diet)
But, isn’t that a bit…exhausting?
Saying no takes energy – and this will drain your willpower and energy. You WILL run out of willpower eventually. This isn’t a weakness; this is a human inevitability. Yes. It’s inevitable that you’ll run out of willpower.
No dieting expert will tell you that. Instead, they’ll try to motivate you to stay on it a little longer. To find the resources deep inside you. And, if you don’t, it’s a sign of weakness.
You’re not weak – you’re HUMAN!
Undieting doesn’t need any willpower and because you’re not following any set of rules, you can’t fall off it. You’re simply eating food. That’s it.
The Power of Adding (instead of subtracting)
The first step of Undieting in Real Life is focusing on adding nutrient-dense food to your day.
This is powerful because it automatically squishes out those foods you want to remove…but without having to say no.
Saying yes GIVES you energy
Lemme tell you about one of my experiences with The Power of Adding -
You’ve read or are reading my book, so you’re getting to know me pretty well (welcome friend :)…and so it shouldn’t surprise you when I tell you that I really don’t like saying no to things. This is why adding has been so powerful in my life.
Years ago, I had a roommate who loved to bake cookies. Like, every day. Every single afternoon our kitchen would fill with the aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and it was always right around snack time (3pm).
I noticed, after a few blissful cookie-filled days, that these cookies were squishing out my old favourite afternoon snack, an apple. And, I was finding myself going back for 2nd, 3rd, and sometimes 4th servings of those delectable cookies.
I needed a new plan…and one that would work and be easy.
My plan was this – the first time I went into the kitchen for an afternoon snack, I needed to grab a piece of fruit first. I didn’t have to deny myself a cookie, I just needed to have a fruity snack first. I crossed my fingers and toes that it would work.
The first day took a smidge of willpower to bypass the hot-out-of-the-oven cookies for a clementine. I knew it might be hard so I put them out on the counter so they were easy to grab and would be at room temp (I don’t like cold fruit).
I grabbed the orange and walked out of the kitchen, promising my inner Cookie Monster that cookies were up next. I angelically ate my orange while finishing up my work for the day. Eventually, my inner Cookie Monster reminded me to get a cookie, and so I did.
But…they weren’t nearly as tempting as they were pre-orange AND I was satisfied with just one.
Today, I no longer live with such an avid baker, but I’ve kept my afternoon fruit rule because it works. When I have fruit for a snack, I have more energy, I can think clearer, and I have a better end to my day.
If chocolate or anything I’ve recently baked is tempting me, I can enjoy it AFTER I’ve had a piece of fruit. And, as much as I can, I take my afternoon snack out of the fridge at lunch so it’s at a more Lisa-friendly temperature at snack time.
How to Embrace The Power of Adding -
It’s simple, add a bit more fruit or veggies into your day, and then see how you feel. This creates a positive feedback loop that makes change much easier
Start where you are right now, and then add just one more serving of fruit or veggies.
Try increasing by 1 serving a week (or 1 extra serving a month) until you reach 6 – 10 servings. Go at your own pace, there’s no rush <3.
WHAT THE HECK IS A SERVING OF VEGGIES?
Fruit is easy to determine a serving - it’s either 1 piece or a handful of berries.
Veggie servings can be more complicated - here’s a good guide:
Salad greens - 2 cups
Non-starchy veggies - 1 cup
Starchy veggies - 1/2 cup
Cooked leafy greens - 2 cups before wilting (it ends up being 1/4 - 1/2 cup after cooking)
But – don’t worry too much about exact measurements…you won’t get a visit from the veggie police. Just add more :)
A Few Ideas:
Be sure you have the fruits and veggies you love in the house! If they’re not available, you’re not going to eat them.
1.Make sure they’re visible – if you can’t see them you might forget them
- take out some fruit from the fridge in the morning
- put them front and centre in the fridge
- put the food you’d like to eat less of at the back or in the back of a cupboard (if it doesn’t need to be in the fridge)
- Keep your healthiest food visible! Hide the junk food
2. Make veggies the star of your dinner…instead of the protein
- this flip can make a HUGE difference in your veggie consumption
- protein is meant to be a side dish
3. Make every snack or dessert be a fruit or veggie
- here’s a favourite whole food dessert of mine, black bean brownies
4. Re-organize your plate – ½ plate non-starchy veggies, ¼ plate starchy veggies, ¼ plate protein
- I find this recipe so delicious it’s easy to fill half my plate, curry cauliflower
5. Smoothies and soup/stew/roast veggies = lots of fruits and veggies (Smoothies in summer, soup in winter)
Head over to Part 2 to learn how to create change without willpower