Richard’s figured it out

In today’s daily message, Richard Simmons says he’s figured out why people don’t stay on a diet. It’s ’cause we’re spoiled!!!

When you`ve had enough calories and fat and your day is not over yet, you have to say no to a lot of foods. I know you feel punished because you really want that food. And, just like when you were a kid, in you own adult way now, you`ll “cry” and pout until you get it.

But even after you have said no, this tiny little voice in your head opens it`s big mouth:

“Oh look,” it says, “the food`s right there and you know you love it. And you know if you don`t go ahead and eat it, you`re going to feel really bad, like you are punishing yourself.”

Well, I think this is kind of self-defeating.

Let’s leave the “spoiled child” analogy out and just say that there are some foods you’ve got to have, at least sometimes, or else you feel like you’re living in the Gulag or something. Well, if you’re on a diet, and you’ve decided that the diet means you “can’t have” foods you like, but you have to have them or you’ll go nuts… well, you can’t very well stay on your diet, can you?

Why does it have to be about depriving yourself? It takes a long time to lose any significant amount of weight. You really think you can completely go without, say, chocolate for that long? For Pete’s sake, have some freaking chocolate. But make it good chocolate, and budget for it. See, that works. Works for me, anyway. (Protip: barely-sweetened super-dark fancy chocolate. It’s so ridiculously concentrated that a little bit is actually enough. And sugar is evil — it fucks with your mood and appetite and makes you crave more sugar. The less of it in your diet, the better.)

Tags: Health