Gaining Weight? Eating Less May Not Be the Answer

Healthy eating doesn't mean avoiding restaurants or eating as little as possible. Tony and I enjoyed lunch out with friends this weekend—and it got me thinking about something I see happen often. If you've gained weight, your first thought might be:

"I need to cut my calories."

But before you start eating less, take a closer look at what's really happening.

Are you eating according to your plan most days—but occasionally having a day when you binge, graze, or simply stop paying attention to what you're eating?

If so, cutting back even further on your regular meals may not be the answer.

In fact, it can sometimes make the problem worse.

Restrict → feel deprived → overeat or binge → feel guilty → restrict again.

Instead, try focusing on consistency.

Eat adequate, nourishing meals. Follow the food plan you've committed to. Pray for God's help when you're struggling. And if you do overeat or binge, don't leave that day out when you're evaluating what's working.

You don't have to count every calorie perfectly. But be honest about what happened.

The goal isn't to punish yourself for overeating. It's to understand the pattern so you can change it.

Sometimes the answer isn't eating less.

It's becoming more consistent with the healthy choices you already know how to make—and asking God for the strength to make them one day at a time.

Struggling with eating between meals or giving in to food temptations? Download my free No Extra Food guide to help you make a plan before temptation hits:

https://www.reshapeandrecover.com/noextrafood