There are a lot of weight loss rules. They’re all stupid, but they serve a purpose.
For those of us who find it easy to eat out of control, rules are useful. They help us gain and maintain control. If you want to lose weight getting control by following some rules is a very good thing.
If you stop eating at 8pm, your calories are limited to the calories you’ve eaten up until that time. When you stop eating at 8 you eat no more calories. That can help you to lose weight. Limiting calories is a proven weight loss strategy.
8pm, however, isn’t a magic time. Calories eaten before or after 8 are processed by your body the same way. If you eat fewer calories than your body is burning for its energy needs, you’ll lose weight regardless of the hour when you eat them.
As stupid as it is to never eat after 8pm, if you find that rule helpful and it’s a good fit with your life to never eat after 8pm, then that’s a rule you won’t want to break (at least most of the time.)
What, then, would stupid weight loss rule that should be broken?
The stupid weight loss rule that should be broken is: “To lose weight you must be perfect.“
Break the “must be perfect rule!” Break it every day! Perfection isn’t necessary to reduce your weight and not being perfect isn’t cheating nor does it mean you’re blowing it.
There’s nothing to be gained by handicapping yourself by demanding perfection. It’s true, We live in an imperfect world, so perfection doesn’t exist.
Putting pressure on yourself to be perfect undermines success. It stops you when conditions don’t lend themselves to perfection.
Whatever your approach, whether you’re counting calories, tracking Weight Watchers PointsPlus values, cutting or counting carb grams, fat grams, all the aforementioned simultaneously, or none of the aforementioned – whatever you’re doing – it’s more than okay to not follow it perfectly.
Sometimes you will choose not to be perfect. You will learn that you can still make progress without perfection. Accepting less than perfection is empowering. Perfection is like a chain that holds you back.
Want to successfully lower your weight? Stop trying to be perfect, just focus on making progress!