Things to Ask Yourself When You’re Tempted to Go Back on a Diet

It’s not uncommon to feel the pull back towards dieting after you’ve already recognized that diets don’t work for you.

Dieting is such a potent form of short-term control, and so heavily pushed by our culture, that it makes perfect sense why we might turn back to it as we feel frustrated with our bodies in recovery.

If you know that dieting is not part of your value system, here are some questions to ask yourself when you feel the lure of dieting:

Am I expecting different results?

Diets feel good until they feel bad. Are you idealizing the part of dieting that feels in control and forgetting the parts where you feel out of control? Are you imagining a fantasized version of reality?

Have I gotten through this before?

When we feel frustrated enough to return to dieting, it can be because we think we don't have the resilience to handle how we're feeling. Have you faced this situation before? Have you gotten through it before?

Am I flooding?

I teach all of my clients about the concept of flooding, which is the reactive and primal response of entering a fear/anger state due to a trigger. In a flood state, we don't have as much access to the parts of our brain that can assess a situation thoroughly. Wait for the higher brain functions to return so you can factor in self-compassion, reason, problem-solving, and feelings of safety/calm.

What do I really need?

Are you feeling stressed? Lacking boundaries? Emotionally suppressed? Helpless? Ask yourself what need is getting met through the high of the diet. Can you address your needs more directly?

Am I thinking in black and white?

Is there a less extreme way of thinking about what you might really need? You are allowed to eat more vegetables or incorporate movement if that's what your body is asking for -- you don't need to go on a "plan". Can you incorporate supportive foods/habits without the obsession, extremism, and morality?

If you need support navigating this, check out the Life After Diets podcast or consider working with me.