Several years ago when I was doing Weight Watchers, I went to a party with several friends and was offered some pizza. My immediate reaction was, “I can’t eat pizza.” (With a slight “poor me” tone to my voice, I’m sure!)

Because according to the diet I was on, I didn’t have any points left to eat pizza that evening. So I responded with a frustrated, “I can’t have that.”

This incident was one of many where I felt frustrated because my diet wouldn’t allow me to eat something that I wanted to eat. I felt deprived, and I struggled to decide whether or not it was really worth it to stick with a diet that took away all of my fun!

So what about you? Have you ever been offered a cupcake, donut, ice cream, or chips only to respond with…“I can’t have that!”?

One key to losing weight is being able to make good choices (and resist food temptations!). Oftentimes, this means having to say no to food.

How we say “no” to that hot-out-of-the-oven brownie, though, can make all of the difference to whether or not we are actually able to resist our food temptations.

How We Talk to Ourselves

Vanessa Patrick, a professor at the University of Houston, conducted some really interesting research. She discovered that HOW we say “no” determines how motivated we will be to resist temptation. Let’s look at two different ways that you can say “no”.

I Can’t

Most dieters say no to food by saying, “I can’t”. For example, they might say things like…

• Would you like hot fudge on your low-fat ice cream? I can’t have hot fudge.
• Do you want a piece of pie? I wish, but I can’t have sugar.

By saying “I can’t”, we end up feeling like what we eat is out of our control. Someone else (aka the diet) is dictating what we can and cannot eat. This usually leads dieters to feeling deprived. We may even become whiny or complain about what we “can’t” eat on our diet.

And do you know what usually happens then? We are much more likely to give in at some point and eat that food that our diet tells us we “can’t” have.

I Don’t

The good news is that by changing just one word you drastically improve the chances that you will resist food temptations.

So what do you say instead? Simply say, “I don’t.”

This might sound like…

• Would you like a donut? No thanks, I don’t eat gluten.
• Do you want a candy bar? No, I don’t eat candy bars.

Can you feel the difference in these statements?

By saying “I don’t”, you take back control over what you choose to eat. It’s a small difference, but “I don’t” empowers you to make your own choices.

Does This Really Make A Difference?

Are you ready for the research on this? According to Vanessa Patrick’s study, saying “I don’t” is three times more effective than simply saying “no”.

Even better…saying “I don’t” is eight times more effective than saying “I can’t”!

By simply saying, “I don’t”, you increase your chances of resisting food temptations by 8 times!

So yes, this really works!

Practical Tips When Saying “I Don’t”

Here are a few practical tips to keep in mind if you decide to change the way you say no.

• First, instead of following the rules of some diet program, educate yourself on how different foods impact your health, appetite, and weight. For example, learn how sugar is processed in your body so that you can decide whether or not you want to eat it. When you understand the “why” behind your food choices, you will be much more motivated to stick with them.
• Second, pay attention to how different foods make you feel. If you always get a headache and feel jittery after drinking coffee, you know exactly how coffee affects you. You can then decide if you want to continue drinking it or not.
• Third, decide what you “do” and “do not” eat. Create your own rules that you want to follow. For example, “I don’t eat sugar.”
• Finally, when you find yourself face to face with temptation, be sure to use the words “I don’t” when refusing the food. Then YOU remain in control!

Final Thoughts

I personally have been using this approach ever since I quit dieting, and I love that I am finally in control of what I do and do not eat.

It can be challenging, though, to wade through the vast amounts of information about nutrition and to figure out how different foods affect your body so that you can create your own rules.

As a result, this is a key component I help my clients with in my Sugar Reset program. Together, we create a personalized eating plan that you decide will work for you.

If you’re interested in learning more about health coaching, I invite you to apply for a complimentary discovery session to figure out if it could help you reach your goals. To apply for a free consultation, go to www.christinajohnsonwellness.com/apply.