Diet Trap: Feelings of Deprivation
Sometimes the simple act of going on a diet can intimately acquaint you with one of life’s hard truths: we often want what we can’t have — and the more unavailable the object of our desire, the stronger the desire grows! (Doesn’t a bag of chips take on a whole new aura of delectability on the second day of a
low-carb diet?) For some people, even foods that they normally didn’t notice too much begin to play "road-runner" to their "Wile E. Coyote" — that is, they become the object of obsession, which can be like an anvil dropped on the head of a healthy diet.
Diet Tip: Use Substitution
If this sounds familiar, there are a few remedies that can help. First, be sure that you pick a diet you feel you can stick to. For you, this would probably include many choices and lots of "wiggle room" rather than a rigid schedule of planned-out meals. Next, have a list of healthy substitutions handy. If you suddenly really crave soda, go with Perrier, which is a healthy substitution that delivers hydration, bubbles, and an occasion to use ice and a straw, without the sugar or sugar-substitutes found in cola (not to mention the
caffeine)! For more ideas, see this list of diet substitutes from our
Nutrition Site.
