5 Mindsets That Are Keeping You Stuck In the Dieting Cycle

Chances are you know about the diet cycle, or have lived it first hand.

Did you know that it is a known phenomenon that's been observed in *many* people, and even studied? So if you’re struggling with this, you’re definitely not alone.

The cycle usually starts at the top. You’ve noticed your pants might be fitting a bit tighter, you might not be fully content with what you see in the mirror, or you might just want to lose weight for the sake of losing weight (between you and me, the actual reason(s) is a lot deeper than that when we start digging, but that’s a post for another time).

So you decide on the way you’re going to go about losing this weight. It’s usually accompanied by a set of strict rules, usually determined by the diet you plan on following. It might even be as simple as “eat less and move more”. You may even find these rules comforting because the line between what is permitted and what is not is super clear, and in theory super simple! You follow all the gurus of this diet on Instagram, you surround yourself with like-minded people to support you, and you get all the necessary equipment (specific foods, supplements, etc.). This is it. You’re ready to go this time.

Here’s where it usually goes downhill. When we put our body in a calorie deficit, multiple mechanisms kick in, like our hormones. Our hunger hormones increase and our fullness hormones decrease in blood, which usually translates into heightened feelings of hunger, and intense cravings. The truth is: that our body doesn’t like losing weight. It doesn’t care about societal standards, or whether you need to fit into your cute outfit. It wants to keep you alive. That’s it. That’s its main job.

We push on though. We’re not weak. We can combat this. We can use coffee and hunger-suppressing supplements to shut that hunger up.

And then… after a few days, a few weeks, a few months… it hits. We lose control of the very food we’re trying to cut out. We eat a bunch of it in a short time. By the end of it, we have no idea how it even happened. And then the guilt hits. What did I just do? How the hell could I have been so undisciplined? I’ll start again tomorrow. I promise to be better tomorrow.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

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Often just making nutrition recommendations on how to eat doesn't suffice, especially if we have some mindsets that also need to be worked on. It’s not always just about the food. These are things that a psychologist, in parallel with a dietitian, can help with. This ensures you're receiving the best care possible.

Here are 5 mindsets that might be keeping you stuck in the dieting cycle. Let me know if you were able to identify any of them in the story above.

1. Black & white thinking (also called “polarized thinking”)

   Things are either good or bad, healthy or unhealthy. There is also usually discomfort associated with the gray area.
   Examples of black-and-white thinking:
   - “I ate a ‘bad’ food, my entire day is ruined”
   - “I’ll just start fresh on Monday”
   - Foods are either “good/healthy” or “bad/unhealthy”, with no room for the gray zone in between
   - I have to work out for 60 minutes or else it’s not worth it

2. Catastrophizing

   This means assuming the worst-case scenario, magnifying the negative and minimizing the positive.

   Example: "I had a cookie even though I told myself I couldn't. This is the worst thing that could've happened. I’ve ruined everything."

3. “Should”-ing

   This could mean holding tight to your rules on how you or other people should behave. Often leads to shame/guilt when we don't do what we "should". This can fuel in the fire of a binge eating episode, and heighten your cravings even more. The biggest issue with “should”-ing is that as soon as you start “should”-ing all over yourself, you disconnect from your values, and what actually matters to you. Before you know it, you have no idea who you are and what’s important to you… only what the diet said you should want.

   Example: “I should be eating salad instead of pasta right now.”

4. Emotional reasoning

   Believing that if you feel something, it must be true. This is also known by some as the “spoken prophecy”.

   Example: "I feel that I will be out of control around these cookies if I buy them", leading to actually feeling out of control.

5. Control fallacies

   Thinking everything that happens to you is either all your fault or not your fault at all.

   Example: I binged on cookies this evening. This must be because I have no discipline and this is all my fault.

Often people hold on to these mindsets because they feel like it’s the only way to reach their goals, when in reality, as per the example above, it often does the complete opposite.

Does this resonate with you?

If you’re ready to finally get out of the diet cycle, it’s time to consult a Registered Dietitian whose values align with yours.

Hope this helped!

Maria Tanielian, RD/Dt.P
ODNQ #7223, CDBC #2815, SDA #949, CDO #16856

Here are some studies worth reading with an open mind:

• Palascha A, van Kleef E, van Trijp HC. How does thinking in Black and White terms relate to eating behavior and weight regain? J Health Psychol. 2015 May;20(5):638-48. doi: 10.1177/1359105315573440. PMID: 25903250.

• H. J. Leidy, J. K. Gardner, B. R. Frye, M. L. Snook, M. K. Schuchert, E. L. Richard, N. I. Williams, Circulating Ghrelin Is Sensitive to Changes in Body Weight during a Diet and Exercise Program in Normal-Weight Young Women, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 89, Issue 6, 1 June 2004, Pages 2659–2664, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2003-031471