Are Your Dieting Strategies Killing You? REVEALED: The Dark Side of Summer Dieting by Julie Kerr - HTML preview

Part 6: DON’T DIET: It’s The Quickest Way To Feel Good About

Yourself

In this report I’ve argued diets don’t work because:

• They are driven by the multi-billion pound food, fashion and advertising industries
• They trigger the innate survival mechanism and starvation response
• Lead to an array of detrimental physical, behavioural and emotional symptoms
• They are inherently unsuccessfully, usually fail and destroy self-steem
• Only tackle the end result of weight gain or dissatisfaction with body shape – they rarely tackle the underlying emotional issues and the need to be thin
• Can actually lead to the more sinister eating strategies associated with bulimia, anorexia, binge eating and Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS).

So if dieting is not the solution to sustainable weight loss and a healthy relationship with yourself and your body, what is?

I think the answer is far simpler – and it’s a journey of discovery that starts by getting to know who you really are.

Instead of looking for outside solutions and remedies, you need to look within.

Because when you do, you open the door to sustainable self-esteem, confidence and control over your life. And it all starts with a shift in your focus and your mind-set.

So read on and discover a five-step approach that provides an alternative, more sustainable solution to looking good and feeling great.

I think you’ll be surprised at some of my suggestions…

1. Challenge media perception

If you constantly look at images in the glossy magazines it becomes easy to believe there’s only one body shape.

It’s a futile game and a cruel form of punishment. Although it has become commonplace in our society, it ultimately leads to dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

You are neither worse than nor better than anyone else.

You are unique – just like everyone else.

Just because the media paints a particular image of the “ideal woman” it doesn’t mean it’s the truth.

As an individual you have the power to choose how to interpret the images you see in the media. You can either:

1. Make them mean you’re not good enough because you don’t “match up to them”.

OR

2. Choose to see them for what they real y are – just images of women.

A belief is simply something you’ve said to yourself enough times that you now accept it to be reality. But here’s the thing. It’s only your perception. It’s not necessarily the truth.

What’s more, because you created your beliefs in the first place, you can also change them.

 2. BELIEVE IT: You Don’t Need ‘Fixing’ and you were always perfect

There’s nothing wrong with you and there’s nothing broken that will get “fixed” when you lose a few pounds.

That’s because you are already perfect - RIGHT NOW.

Now you may resist this truth. After all , if you’ve consciously or subconsciously accepted society’s narrow definition of what’s beautiful you’ve probably spent a long time convincing yourself that the reflection you see in the mirror isn’t good enough.

And this will be reinforced the continuous flow of negative thoughts you have about you and your body. If you don’t “measure up” to those idealised models you see in the magazines (which let’s face it, the vast majority of the population don’t) you become hypercritical about what you ‘believe’ you see.

• You prod and pinch the parts you feel shouldn’t be there
• You suck your tummy in and convince yourself how much better you’d look and feel if you could just get rid of that ‘muffin top’
• You imagine how much better your life would be if you were thinner

And if you think these things on a consistent basis (which most serial dieters do), over time you’ll train yourself to see your body in a certain way. And that’s when the mirror starts to become your enemy.

Because instead of consciously thinking you’d look better if you were thinner, your habitual thinking has become ingrained into your subconscious. It means when you look at your reflection, you automatically see someone who’s ‘ fat’ and far from perfect. What’s more, because you see it – you believe it and the false body image you’ve created becomes your reality.

In addition, because you’ve been chasing outer perfection as defined by society’s rules – you’ve overlooked the physical beauty you already have. After all , the truth is beauty comes in many forms. What’s more, you’ve overlooked and dismissed the inner beauty that has always been there beneath the surface – just waiting for you to embrace and accept it.

So instead of worrying about what you think the outside world wants you to be

Just be…

And instead of trying to transform your physical appearance – embrace and celebrate the beauty that’s already yours.

In addition, discover and accept your unique talents, skills and qualities and allow them to define you.

And believe me. When you accept yourself as you are right NOW, and allow your inner beauty and radiance to shine, you allow your life to be transformed in unforeseen ways.

3. Discover who you truly are - not who someone else says you should be

I agree. There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to look your best. BUT have your best be a true expression of who you are and NOT what someone else says you should look like.

The media is wrong. You’re not valuable because of what you look like. Instead you’re valuable because of your unique gifts and talents. So please learn to separate the two and stop confusing the reflection in the mirror with the truth of who you are. And remember. The reflection you see in the mirror is only ever a reflection of your thoughts and feelings in that moment. It means when your thoughts and feelings change, what you see also changes.

So instead:

• Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated – you are so much more than a size

• Forget looking outwards in an attempt to define yourself – the answers you seek are inside

• Watch what you expose yourself to and strive to fill your head with uplifting inspiring messages and thoughts that leave you energised - not depressed and feeling inadequate

• Work on learning about yourself.
• Think about what makes you unique
• Discover the special gifts and talents you bring to the world

And learn to accept that the source of your real beauty goes far deeper that your physical appearance.

When you do these things, you’ll begin to see beauty all around you - including the face in the mirror.

 4. Shift the focus away from food to something more positive

This is a BIG one.

Dieting promises an escape and a route to happiness and fulfilment in the future when those extra pounds have been lost. In the meantime it puts your life on hold.

It’s hard work trying to lead a normal life when you’re hungry and all you can think about is food and when your next meal is going to arrive. It’s really tiring, constantly battling against these powerful, instinctive urges. And it becomes even more challenging once you start to experience the raft of negative side effects associated with restricted food intake.

So rather than thinking about food and your appearance - shift your focus elsewhere and make your day-to-day life about something far more inspirational and positive than food.

Start doing the things that you love.

Set yourself inspiring new goals

Think back to your childhood and remember what you really enjoyed doing.

Then make your life be about those things.

You’ll know when you’ve found your true motivation because you’ll get lost in time and you won’t think about eating or food or your appearance.

Instead, you’ll be immersed in the moment and enjoying life to the full .

5. Listen to your body and stop dieting

Your body is the best nutritionist in town - if you listen to it. Your body is a biological masterpiece and its many feedback systems will ‘tell ’ you what it wants and needs.

So STOP dieting.

Seriously, DITCH the dieting mentality so you can hear what your body’s telling you and allow your body return to a natural balance (set point).

Become an intuitive eater by listening out for internal cues and responding to what the body needs. In other words you eat what your body wants.

This may seem like a paradox, BUT if you allow yourself to eat what you like (within reason), the cravings will diminish.

• If you stop labeling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, you won’t become so obsessed with eating them.

• And in turn your body will tell you what it needs and you’ll naturally fall into your optimum size and weight.

You see there are no set rules. Which means there are no temptations to break, plans to follow or mistakes to make.

As such, this approach to eating is not set-­up for failure meaning it will deliver more

satisfactory, more sustainable results.

When you listen to your body you’ll eat when you’re hungry. What’s more, you’re more  likely to choose foods that are nutritional, wholesome and healthy.

And if you combine intuitive eating with a focus on doing the things that motivate and inspire you, food will stop being a remedy, and instead fulfill its proper role – to ensure your body and mind has the nutrients and energy needed to function efficiently and healthily.

It’s a strategy that will enable YOU to live an unlimited life you love – not a compromised existence that’s suppressed by unnecessary limits, restrictions or rules.

What To Do Next

• Has the information in this report resonated with you?

• Are you keen to escape the dieting trap for good?

• Would you love to feel great about yourself, your body and your life?

• Would you like to discover a proven way to gain freedom from bulimia?

If so, read onto Part 7 and discover why eBook author Julie Kerr could provide the answers and solutions you’ve been seeking for so long…

Praise for Julie’s unique approach to overcoming bulimia

“With Julie’s help, guidance & continual support, its safe to say I’ve found a way out! Not  only do I not binge & purge anymore – but I don’t even want too! I look at my life in a brand  new light and now possess the courage to go for all the things I shut out of my life while  suffering. I am singing again and have now got a following online -­ yes I had the courage to  go 'public' :-)”