Diets don’t allow for wiggle room
The number one thing that makes dieting unsustainable is the “on” or “off” mentality. When people go “on” a diet, then slip up, they feel like they totally blew it, which shifts them into “off” mode, and right back into unhealthy habits. In so many other areas of life, we accept a lack of total perfection, and even use detours as learning opportunities. That should be the case with weight loss. If you overate, ask yourself why? Did you turn to food as a reward, comfort, or way to quell anxiety? If so, actively work on finding other ways to meet those needs. Or if you binged because you were starving, the diet is failing you, not the other way around. The reality is losing weight and keeping it off requires consistency, so your approach should feel like something you can stick with. And if emotional eating keeps getting in the way, address it. In my experience with clients, doing so is often the true key to lasting weight loss.