Note: This post was originally published on BradPilon.com by the author of Eat Stop Eat.
If you have struggled with your weight there's a good chance, that like me, you've lost a lot of time and precious life energy making this number one diet mistake too. Realizing that Brad's mission since graduate school has been to help people break free from today's obsessive compulsive approach to dieting and nutrition makes me even more grateful that I discovered him and Eat Stop Eat.
The Goal of Eat Stop Eat
I can still remember back to when I first starting writing Eat Stop Eat back in 2006.
I had just put the finishing touches on my graduate work on the benefits of short term fasting for weight loss and was eager to share what I had found with the rest of the world. My goal was a simple one: To explain the scientific literature carefully and thoroughly so I could help people understand that today’s obsessive compulsive approach to nutrition is simply NOT NEEDED, and that taking the occasional short break from eating (the real definition of fasting) was a scientifically supported way of eating that had amazing weight loss and health benefits.
Well it’s more than six years later, and even with 100,000’s of people following Eat Stop Eat, after appearing on national television, and even having a BBC documentary written on Intermittent fasting I STILL don’t think that I’m getting my message across the way I had originally intended.
Sure, more people than ever are following Eat Stop Eat (it’s now one of the Internet’s best selling books on intermittent fasting). And, more people then ever are seeing amazing weight loss results because of Eat Stop Eat.
But there are also many people who are now following a low-carb diet, cycling their calories, timing their protein, eating 6 times a day, only eating protein with fat (never carbs) AND following Eat Stop Eat.
This was not what I had envisioned.
How To Break Free from Diet Prison and Experience Food Freedom
This is not ‘diet freedom’ – it’s a prison. I was hoping to help people break free from this craziness. OR, as the crazy looking infomercial lady with the blond spiky hair used to say STOP THE INSANITY. For the vast majority of us (myself included) simply eating the way we normally do, following a resistance training workout program and fasting once or twice a week using the Eat Stop Eat method will result in dramatic weight loss results.
For some other people, it may take eating slightly less on the days you are not fasting. Sometimes this takes a little bit of introspection on your fasting days, paying attention to what and why you want to eat, but it can be done.
You can lose weight without ‘manipulating’ your calories, or ‘cycling’ your carbs. You can lose weight by eating in a way you enjoy AND by eating the foods you enjoy.
The only time you may need to radically change the way you eat during your eating days if you are preparing for a bodybuilding or fitness pageant. These types of events require extremely low body fat levels that are not sustainable for more than a few days (and some would argue that body fat levels this low actually become unhealthy). But for most of us, simply eating in a stress free way that has a hint of responsibility will be enough.
It’s true – You can get very lean (even 6-pack abs lean) WITHOUT having to be obsessed with ‘eating healthy.’
Now I will admit that for health purposes, many of us would benefit from eating a little less sugar and little more healthy fat. But, this doesn’t mean you should COMPLETELY avoid sugar, or swallow 15 fish oils pills every day.
I also completely agree with the statement that fruits and vegetables are good for your health, but this doesn’t mean you MUST be a vegetarian to be healthy.
Other than these basic guidelines, I think the rest of the pill-popping, protein shake pounding, portion-measuring food-avoiding dogma that goes along with what we believe to be “healthy eating” is complete and utter nonsense for the vast, vast majority of the human population, and quite frankly, I think it is TOXIC to your health.
Obsessive Compulsive Eating - The Number 1 Diet Mistake
This type of Obsessive Compulsive Eating leads to high levels of anxiety and stress over missing meals, mixing the ‘wrong foods’, or eating the ‘wrong things.’ It’s a way to create an unhealthy food prison by trying to eat healthy. It also leads to overeating, and a distorted view of food in general.
In my opinion its time to not only give up on this trend of OCE (Obsessive Compulsive Eating), but to actually start raging against it. Obsessive Compulsive Eating is the biggest diet mistake you can make.
The truth is many other health authorities are also starting to become very concerned about the negative consequences of Obsessive Compulsive Eating.
Steven Bratman, M.D. calls OCE “Orthorexia” in his published research, and in his book “Health Food Junkies.” Michael Pollan talks about OCE in his newest book “In Defense of Food.”
And this new publicity is for good reason. All of the nonsense we are being fed by nutritionists, personal trainers and health food store employees is doing little to make us look better or feel better, and is psychologically damaging to our relationship with food.
Of course, it IS making the healthy food industry incredibly wealthy… which was probably the point all along!
The bottom line is that eating food should not be about guilt!
Not only this, but getting lean should not be about self-punishment, self-loathing and denial. It should be healthy in the truest sense of the word, both physically and mentally… good for you.
I think OCE is the number one nutrition mistake that you can make. Worse than any other diet or nutrition crime.
Worst of all, it is actually being supported by many well educated “health experts,” just take a look at all of the OCE diet plans that appear in all the popular magazines.
Most of these diet plans will help you lose weight, but only because they reduce calories. However, this does not mean they are healthy. Eight weeks of egg whites and cauliflower isn’t good for you physically or psychologically. Your workouts aren’t useless if you don’t drink a protein shake immediately after you finished your last rep, and if you happen to eat a brownie, you shouldn’t feel ashamed of yourself. You’re not a weak person with no self control, you just had a brownie.
But this how the mainstream OCE culture is making us all feel – Like we’re never quite good enough.
I’m sure you have enough stress in your life already. Worrying about some super complicated way of eating shouldn’t be yet another thing to worry about. Especially if it doesn’t even improve your health or the way you look.
Sure these methods may make you lose weight but this is ONLY because they lower your calorie intake, but at what cost? For some reason we have been convinced that the more COMPLICATED the diet program, the more effective it will be, which is simply not true.
You can absolutely lose weight and get lean without having to be a slave to some complicated diet plan or the latest ‘rules’ of healthy eating.
Avoid The Number One Diet Mistake with Eat Stop Eat
Weight loss shouldn’t come at the expense of your sanity. There is a better way, and in my opinion it’s the Eat Stop Eat Method.
Finding a simple, easy way to reduce calories is the key to successful, long term weight loss, and that is exactly what Eat Stop Eat provides:
1) An easy way to get lean without spending every single day of your life worrying about what you are eating.
2) An effective way to lose weight without excluding any foods you love to eat.
3) A simple way to lose body fat without forcing you to eat foods that you simply do not like.
If you are ready to learn more about how to avoid OCE and how to start losing weight with the Eat Stop Eat method, then simply CLICK HERE to get your copy of Eat Stop Eat.
A new, easier and leaner life is waiting for you.
About the Author:
Brad Pilon is an expert on intermittent fasting as it relates to losing weight and gaining muscle. He's also the author of Eat Stop Eat. His goal is to help look your best and live your best as easily as possible. To help you lose fat and gain muscle as simply as possible without stress, and free of an obsessive-compulsive, all-encompassing addiction to ‘eating right’ and exercise.
Related:
- How Skipping Breakfast Can Help You Lose Weight
- I Surrender My Quest for the Perfect Diet
- Intermittent Fasting: Five Quick Questions with Fasting Expert Brad Pilon
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or Craftsy links, I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thanks for your purchase!
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