If you’ve been caught in the cycle of weight gain, loss, and regain, instead of focusing solely on your next diet, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. These three, non-dieting activities will
deliver more lasting results.
Activity 1 Go back to move forward
When was the last time you revisited your weight and dieting history? It’s easy to avoid, especially when past attempts didn’t deliver the results you wanted. But what if you could reframe those experiences? Instead of seeing them as failures, consider them as your personal goldmine.
By looking back, you’re not reliving failures; you’re gathering data on what worked, what didn’t, and why. When you understand the patterns in your eating, the highs and lows of your weight cycles, and the impact of your different strategies, you can make better informed decisions. So, this isn’t about dwelling on the past; it’s about using your history to create a clearer, more effective roadmap for your future actions.
Activity 2 Make the invisible visible
Everyone had to learn the rules for eating from somewhere, yet most women don’t realise exactly how much their family of origin shapes their current relationship with food. The eating rules, behaviours, and attitudes you grew up with operate below the surface, yet powerfully influence what you eat and how.
When you identify these childhood eating rules, you will start to loosen their control over you. Do you remember whether certain foods encouraged or discouraged? Was eating linked to punishment or reward? By connecting the dots between your past and present, you can start unravelling the automatic responses that have you reaching for the chocolate cake when you intended to eat a salad.
Activity 3 Conduct a calorie stocktake
If your weight is recycling, it’s not just about what you’re eating, it’s also about what you eat when you have conscious control and when you don’t. By doing a stocktake you can include all the calories you consume—not just the ones you would willingly record in a food diary.
To lose weight and maintain it, understanding the purpose of all your eating types—whether it’s functional, social, comfort, or relief eating—is crucial. Each type has its own triggers and rules. Relief eating in particular can derail your progress faster than any other type of eating.
Stop 'rinse and repeat' dieting - break the weight gain cycle
To break free from recycling weight, requires a deep examination of your eating history, the food rules you grew up with, and how your history is still influencing your current food choices and eating patterns.
So, don’t shy away from looking at anything in your past—it’s not a record of failures, but a guide to what will work for you in the future. This deeper understanding of yourself is the foundation for making lasting change.
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