I’m on a diet what can I eat?

First thing people want to know is, “what can I eat?”

The question is asked with some trepidation. It’s spoken with the fear that good-tasting food will be taken away and in its place will be food that’s either bland, tasteless, or truly disgusting.

It's a common belief that eating unappetizing food is a good way to limit calories to enable weight loss.

It’s a common belief that eating unappetizing food is a good way to limit calories to enable weight loss.

The real answer to the question, “what can I eat?” is anything you want! It’s true! This is no sleazy weight loss scam that hooks you with a false promise, gets your money, and leaves you as fat or fatter than when you started.

You can eat what you want to lose weight.

You can eat what’s in your fridge, or pantry, or even what’s in your hand right now! What’s the catch? No catch, just simple science. Eat fewer calories than your body is burning for its energy needs and you will lose weight.

It really is that easy, but the complication begins when people start to want to lose faster, eat for optimal health, or don’t trust themselves to be able to eat what they like in smaller servings.

If you want to lose weight, get to goal, and stay there, you would be wise to ask, “what do I want to eat,” instead of, “what can I eat?” Research shows that owning your weight loss plan supports maintaining your weight loss goals. Owning means you’re eating what satisfies you.

Satisfaction is measured on multiple levels.
  • You need enough food to avoid feeling extremely hungry.
  • You need to eat beyond what just tastes good, but what you find very good.
  • Food is pleasure. You need food that fills you up and sometimes food that serves no other purpose than to be a wonderful treat.
  • You’d be smart to eat a variety of foods that add up to good nutrition and reduced calories, as opposed to reducing both nutritional quality and calories.

    There is no shortage of fat-burning shakes, cleansing drinks and detoxifying broths..... AND YOU NEVER NEED TO DRINK ANY OF THEM TO LOSE WEIGHT OR BE HEALTHY!

    There is no shortage of fat-burning shakes, cleansing drinks and detoxifying broths….. AND YOU NEVER NEED TO DRINK ANY OF THEM TO LOSE WEIGHT OR BE HEALTHY!

I’m not going to give any specific dietary advice in this blog.

I want you to focus on eating what pleases you; not what you think you should be eating or what you read you should be eating. Indeed, there are so many conflicting opinions of what you should and should not be eating that it does more than confuse; it paralyzes! How do you sort through all of this advice to pick what’s good, bad, or ugly? It might end up with your doing nothing because you are afraid to make the wrong choice.

There is an added benefit to starting your diet by building your own food plan blueprint.
Relax! Trust yourself to make the best choices for you!

Relax! Trust yourself to make the best choices for you!

It boosts your sense of self-efficacy. You are taking charge of your diet and relying on your own instincts. It’s a way of reaffirming to yourself that you are intelligent, effective and capable of achieving your goal.

You have your own answer to, “what can I eat?” Look at what you’re eating now. Decide how you can adjust it to reduce your daily total calories. Add more foods you enjoy that are naturally lower in calories and eat less of the foods that are very calorie-dense.

Bananas don't cause belly fat, but they can be a tasty source of nutrients and an important part of your weight loss plan!

Eat what you love to lose weight – even bananas! There are no 5 foods you should never eat; but there are 1,000,000s of foods you should eat!

Trust yourself and you’ll lose weight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jackie Conn

About Jackie Conn

Jackie Conn is married and has four grown daughters and four grandchildren. She is a Weight Watchers success story. She's a weight loss expert with 25 years of experience guiding women and men to their weight-related goals. Her articles on weight management have been published in health, family and women's magazines. She has been a regular guest on Channel 5 WABI news, FOX network morning program Good Day Maine and 207 on WCSH.