I got stuck in a TERRIBLE rainstorm yesterday and got absolutely drenched.
About 3 minutes after I stepped outside my Brooklyn apartment to grab groceries, a few raindrops started coming down.
Within minutes, it was pouring outside.
When I finally stumbled into my local coffee shop after 15 minutes of getting soaked, I huddled over a HUGE Concord Grape kombucha, looked out the window and noticed something…
People were going NUTS. They were struggling like crazy to not get wet.
Side note: This coffee shop has TONS of cakes – from chocolate peanut butter cheesecake to strawberry shortcake – so so good. They also randomly have ALL my fav groceries in a little “market” section. Ask me about it if you’re in Brooklyn.
As I stood in the cafe I saw people running for shelter, huddled under (empty) garbage bags, holding pieces of styrofoam over their heads, and the list goes on.
If you’re not from New York, you might not know that New Yorkers do NOT do well with unexpected elements.
Yeah, we can strap on our boots and pile into our crazy-looking ankle length puffer coats when we’re expecting a Texas-sized snowstorm, but if we get caught off guard, we freak.
We panic. Run for shelter. Struggle to find anything to hide under. Because of a little rain.
What if we just stopped and got soaked?
It actually felt great. It’s been nearly 100 degrees in New York for the past week, and the rain felt amazing.
Two days ago, everyone was complaining about the heat, yet when some refreshing rain hits, they’re struggling like crazy to not get wet.
If they stopped fighting it for a minute, they might’ve realized what a gift the rain was after the scorching, humid heat.
This is a perfect metaphor for weight loss. When we stop struggling, we can reach our goals, instead of getting trapped in a mental mess of restriction and binging.
KEEP READING TO LEARN HOW…
Every day I walk past magazine stands in the subway, and almost every single one of them is boasting some newfangled diet tip.
THE COMMONALITY?
They all involve restriction and struggling. And living in terror of never being able to undo the “damage” after you overeat.
DO YOU BELIEVE THIS TOO? LEAVE A COMMENT AND TELL ME.
The standard belief is that you have to struggle if you want to lose weight, feel good, and look good.
Most of us believe it takes lots of discipline, daily 3-hour workouts, and tons of deprivation at the dinner table.
We view thin people as restrained and tidy, and see ourselves as sloppy and out of control around food.
The secret to easy weight loss is to stop restricting yourself and start living your life, Good Taste style.
Now, I know this concept might sound ineffective or even piss you off in this moment, so stick with me.
When you restrict, restrain, and control yourself, you eventually end up binging. I know cause I’ve been there. Many many times. Jars of peanut butter. Bags of trail mix. Entire batches of brownies. Random, cold leftovers. It’s all happened.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU STICK TO TINY PORTIONS…
The restriction phase screws up your metabolism because your body isn’t sure when it’s gonna get food again, so it holds on to every bit of fat.
AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FINALLY BREAK AND BINGE…
The binging hits your digestive system hard, leading it to go on strike from getting too much food at once. It shuts down, leaving you bloated and sluggish.
WHEN YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO STOP STRUGGLING AND FIGHTING…
…your body falls into a natural rhythm and you reach your ideal weight with ease.
But HOW?! you’re probably asking.
I know that was my big question in my teens and early twenties, before I developed the Good Taste System.
I thought the only way to lose weight and maintain my figure was to stick to 1200 calories a day and run laps in the boiling heat on my lifeguarding breaks.
HERE’S HOW YOU DO IT…
Follow these 5 steps to stop struggling and lose weight the easy way…
1. Accept where you are. Even if you’re elbow-deep in Nutella (like I was in 2009) this very second, sitting at your computer or huddled over your iPhone, forgive yourself and accept where you are. You can’t make progress if you’re hating yourself.
2. Appreciate yourself. Write down 3-5 things you’re grateful for. Even if none of your weight loss attempts have worked, you can appreciate the fact that you know a few things (or a lot of things) that don’t work. Information is power.
3. Make a pact with your body. I used to view myself as separate from my body, and she was the enemy.
I know I’m not the only one who feels this internal battle. Right now, acknowledge that you and your body are one.
If you abuse her with food (or lack of food) you’re abusing yourself.
When you decide to be friends with your body and stop hating your stomach and wondering WHY you don’t have supermodel abs, you set the stage for physical changes that last.
So right now, write a little friendship pact with your body, including three specific ways you’re going to have her back, no matter what she looks like.
Would you hate your best friend if she got “fat”? No.
Then why should you hate yourself? It’s not gonna get you anywhere.
And yes, you and your body should get friendship bracelets. Damn I miss those.
And blood sisters, anyone? Good stuff.
FOR EXAMPLE…
Maybe you decide to #1 give her the movement she craves #2 give her more quiet time #3 nourish her with the foods she asks for.
You can grow your relationship from there. 😉
4. Add more satisfaction into your day. Ever notice how after a kinda average – or straight up bad – meal you just wanna keep picking at bread and crackers and chocolate, because your meal never satisfied you?
Eat more of your favorite foods this week and take the time to truly enjoy them, so you feel like you actually ate a good meal and don’t need to snack all afternoon.
By eating food that tastes amazing to you, you’ll naturally need less of it to feel satisfied.
And no pretending you like foods that you actually hate – even if they’re “on-trend” and all your yoga-y friends are eating them. Screw that.
Eat what you love.
5. Have a chat with alcohol. I’ve noticed lately how much women (and men) abuse their bodies with booze. It’s totally socially acceptable to be a big drinker, and it’s even expected in a lot of professional and social settings.
If you’re not drinking, people ask you why not.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE cocktails and wine and beer (IPA please), and once in a while I definitely overdo it. In fact, this past weekend I had one too many drinks on Saturday night, and that’s exactly what got me thinking about it today.
Don’t judge me.
Alcohol is one of the biggest factors in body composition, and can completely throw your metabolism off if you overdo it. There are no hard and fast guidelines, but I’m guessing you’re pretty intuitive and you know if you’re drinking too much.
Experiment this week by reducing your intake by one drink every day, and having at least 2-3 alcohol-free days.
So if you normally have 2 glasses of wine with dinner, have just 1. And take Monday and Tuesday off from alcohol.
This isn’t about long-term restriction, it’s about befriending your body instead of abusing her.
By going easy on alcohol for even a week, you’ll give your body a chance to recalibrate and figure out how much vino actually supports you and your lifestyle.
Ok, what questions do you have about easy weight loss?
Does my little metaphor change how you view diets, and getting caught in the rain?
Or does it just make you want a pina colada?
Leave a comment below and tell me – I read every single note and I LOVE hearing from you.