What’s the first thing you think when you hear the word “diet”?  Most of us think about deprivation. We think of all the foods, treats, desserts and snacks that we can’t have. We’ve been told, and so we believe, that the only way we can get the weight off is by staying away from these “forbidden” foods.  We think we’ll have to wait for the day when the “diet” is over and we can indulge again.

We place these foods on a pedestal because somehow they have a magical, mystical quality over us. We feel powerless when these foods are around us as if they are somehow forcing us to eat them. We may do this for a while, but eventually we give in to the powerful force of the food that’s calling us.

But consider this. What would happen if you looked at the whole diet approach much differently? If you want to lose weight your eating has to change, that’s a given. But while you’re making alterations to your diet, making healthier choices and changing your eating behaviors, instead of focusing on what you can’t have, how about turning your attention to the confidence, pride and improved self-esteem you’ll feel when you have formed new, healthier habits?

Instead of feeling angry that you can’t eat something, how about feeling proud that you’ve chosen to work toward the body you want?

Instead of struggling with the same foods that caused your weight issues for years, maybe decades, how about realizing that these particular foods simply don’t work for you and it’s your choice to exclude them from your healthy eating plan.  There’s no magic force surrounding those foods.  They’re not on the pedestal.  They just don’t work for you.

Nothing tastes as good as the feeling of being in control over our choices, our lives and ourselves. The real deprivation is not being able to live the life we want due to the pain our relationship with certain foods have caused.

Think about how your weight has held you back. If you don’t like how you feel and look because of excess weight, you’re not as likely to feel sexy and your relationships may suffer. When you feel out of shape and unhealthy, you may feel self conscious and not be as confident or outgoing as you’d like to be. Without healthy eating and exercise, you’re also more likely to be sluggish and fatigued; leaving you less willing and able to be active with your family.

Instead of choosing to feel deprived of the foods that you have decided to limit, choose to embrace the feeling of freedom. Freedom to live the life you want by ending the tug of war you feel with certain foods.  Not only will this free up mental space, but it will make you feel like you are the boss, not the chips, cookies, wine or Saturday night breadbasket.