Food Deprivation

Dieting, and food deprivation go together and lead to the failure of most dieting. Dieting says, “If you deprive yourself long enough from the foods you love, you will lose weight.” This is a way of thinking. It has been paired with dieting, because most diets label foods as good or bad. We all have our list of foods that we deny ourselves of and think, “If I deprive myself of these foods, then I will lose weight!” I believe that you must end this food thinking to be successful in weight control. It is learned, and can be unlearned!

Remember the Cognitive Behavior Model:

Thoughts------------------->Feelings---------------------->Behavior

Thoughts of Deprivation (Foods you can’t eat) -->Feelings of Deprivation (anger, sadness, frustration)-->Behavior of Deprivation (Eating the Foods from your Deprivation List).

Denying yourself ultimately will lead you to eat the very foods that you do not want to eat. Food is everywhere in your environment, and food cravings will hit also. If you are not prepared, eventually you will give in, and add unhealthy foods back into your life on a regular basis.

I believe that success comes with changing your thinking about deprivation, and also your behavior. Along with thinking, you also sabotage your success in several ways:

• Keeping foods at home which tempt you?


• Having a deprivation food list in the first place!


• Skipping meals, which can lead to physiological cravings for specific foods that you deprive yourself of?


• Not taking healthy snacks when you leave home!


• Not knowing which trigger foods will not work for you but cause a binge.


• Rewarding yourself with food.


• Not learning great substitutions for foods that you love.

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I believe that true deprivation, is when you continue to eat unhealthy foods that cause you to be in poor health, and carry around unwanted weight that causes pain and misery. You must develop some healthy food habits that will help you to end deprivation, and change your behavior and learn lifestyle solutions!

For additional information, see my Strategies to End Food Deprivation.