Ditch the Diets

Picture this all-too-familiar scene: It’s lunch time at school. You sit down to a healthy lunch, which is, of course, an oversized salad, topped with bean sprouts and of course, low-calorie, fat-free dressing. You finish your lunch, but still feel uncomfortably… unsatisfied. Out of the corner of your eye, you suddenly spot your friend indulging in an oversized bag of mini Oreos, while simultaneously complaining about falling off her diet. Of course, out of sincere goodwill and concern for your friend’s health, you offer to help her with the gargantuan task of finishing the bag. You indulge. You feel gross. And your healthy lunch is history. Why does this scene seem so familiar to so many? What went wrong?

Here are some possible explanations for your unfortunate lunch fiasco:

You were still hungry because your lunch choice was pitifully short of the calories your body needed, especially since you were very active the day before. Besides, you don’t even especially like salad, so you were simply craving some more satisfaction.

You felt so restricted by the stringent standards of your diet that your body resisted it and resorted to unhealthy mediums of satisfaction.