The word "restriction" often carries heavy baggage in the weight loss world. For many, it conjures memories of strict diets, forbidden foods, and fighting against hunger signals. But what if we've been thinking about restriction all wrong?
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When we talk about harmful restriction, we're typically referring to ignoring our body's legitimate needs: skipping meals despite genuine hunger, eliminating entire food groups, or following arbitrary rules like "no eating after 6 PM." This type of restriction often backfires, leading to a cycle of deprivation and overeating.
However, there's another side to restriction that rarely gets discussed – the healthy boundaries we set in all areas of life. We restrict ourselves from speeding on highways, from acting on every impulse, and from making choices that don't align with our values. These boundaries don't harm us; they protect us and help us achieve our goals.
A common pitfall in healing your relationship with food is the belief that any form of saying "no" to yourself is harmful restriction. You might think, "I want a cupcake, and if I don't eat it, I'm being restrictive." But this logic only applies to previously restricted foods, revealing it as another form of diet mentality in disguise.
Consider this: You wouldn't worry about being "restrictive" if you didn't want a salad at that moment. The fear only arises with foods that have a complicated history in your diet past.
Instead of viewing all restriction as negative, consider redirecting your desire for structure toward helpful boundaries:
These boundaries support rather than undermine your health goals. They align with your body's natural signals instead of working against them.
When your brain suggests "getting strict" with your eating, don't automatically dismiss it. Instead, redirect that energy toward productive boundaries. If you want to be strict, be strict about:
This approach channels your desire for structure into behaviors that actually support your goals, rather than creating more rules that you'll eventually break.
No matter which path you choose for improving your relationship with food and managing your weight, you'll face challenges. Tracking calories doesn't eliminate the need to deal with urges or stop eating when you're full – it just adds extra complexity to the process.
The key is focusing your effort where it matters most: learning to set and maintain boundaries around behaviors that don't serve you, while remaining flexible about what you eat when you're genuinely hungry.
Remember, life naturally includes many forms of healthy restriction. The goal isn't to eliminate all boundaries but to establish ones that support rather than sabotage your wellbeing.
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The next time your brain suggests you need to "get strict" or "restrict" to reach your goals, redirect that energy toward the boundaries that actually matter. Being strict about not overeating or eating when you're not hungry might feel challenging, but it's far more sustainable than creating complex rules about what or when you can eat.
By reframing restriction as setting healthy boundaries, you can maintain structure without falling into the trap of rigid dieting. This approach might feel less dramatic than overhauling your entire diet, but it addresses the core behaviors that impact your relationship with food and your weight.
[00:00:00] Maggie: [00:00:03] [00:00:06] [00:00:09] [00:00:12] Hello, everybody. Welcome to the podcast. [00:00:15] Hello.
[00:00:15] Ryan: Good morning.
[00:00:15] Maggie: We have some, uh,
[00:00:17] Maggie: I was going to say breaking [00:00:18] news, but it's not breaking news. What I meant to say was like, we just have [00:00:21] some things to go over before we start with the podcast. Some
[00:00:23] Ryan: updates.
[00:00:23] Maggie: Some [00:00:24] updates. Yeah. And not, it's certainly not breaking news, but you know, I've been on [00:00:27] the internet a lot as, as we dealt with the shenanigans of the last couple of weeks [00:00:30] and, and there was a lot of breaking news and there will continue to be a lot of breaking [00:00:33] news.
[00:00:33] Maggie: But some things we wanted to go over really super quick is [00:00:36] that the Ditch Your Diet app is no longer available. For [00:00:39] new subscribers and will not be available for [00:00:42] monthly subscribers as soon as your subscription ends, right? It [00:00:45] will remain available for those of you who opted for the yearly [00:00:48] subscription.
[00:00:48] Ryan: If you, if you have a current subscription, it will not [00:00:51] renew.
[00:00:51] Maggie: Yes. Whichever one you have it set up as. Oh, cause we have a six month one as [00:00:54] well, huh?
[00:00:54] Ryan: And a 12 month. Yeah.
[00:00:55] Maggie: Yeah. So that is [00:00:57] no longer available. Um, that. [00:01:00] App was created based off of my coaching app, and so it had [00:01:03] some aspects of the coaching app that I use with my clients in [00:01:06] my program.
[00:01:06] Maggie: Just with the time that we've had it out, what we've [00:01:09] realized is that it's not, And I'm not saying it hasn't helped [00:01:12] anybody, okay? I'm not saying it hasn't been useful, but it's missing a lot of the [00:01:15] context. It's missing the course, it's missing the teachings, it's [00:01:18] missing the specifics. I was frequently getting questions in [00:01:21] my DMs asking for specifics on it, when all those [00:01:24] specifics, you know, I do teach them, but they're not, they weren't part of that [00:01:27] basic app.
[00:01:27] Ryan: So The context is a little required, [00:01:30] is what we're, what we're finding, and so Um, that's why we [00:01:33] decided to put a pause on that.
[00:01:34] Maggie: Yeah, because I've been getting, , questions in [00:01:36] my DMs of people that are trying to sign up and so we wanted to speak about it [00:01:39] publicly on the podcast and let you know that we have [00:01:42] decided to keep Vibe Club open.
[00:01:43] Maggie: it's hard to know what to do [00:01:45] sometimes in business and I [00:01:48] feel like so many people find my podcast at various [00:01:51] different times of the year and some of you are going to be listening to [00:01:54] podcasts from like November right now or something, you know, and I [00:01:57] want you to have the ability to. Get going and get [00:02:00] started and not have to wait and to have all of the [00:02:03] context available.
[00:02:03] Maggie: So you can still get access to my app, but [00:02:06] you can get access to the beefy app, the way the app was [00:02:09] created to have, coaching call replays a full [00:02:12] ass course that teaches you how to know when you're hungry, how to [00:02:15] know when you've, you know, you're at enough, how [00:02:18] to know how to process your emotions, how, how to basically do [00:02:21] everything.
[00:02:21] Maggie: I actually teach is within [00:02:24] that F and then you of course have the added community.
[00:02:26] Ryan: [00:02:27] That's cool. It's, there's a lot of stuff in there. I recently redesigned the [00:02:30] coaching vault screen. So every coaching call [00:02:33] now has a timestamps dropdown. You open the timestamps [00:02:36] dropdown and you can see where different [00:02:39] topics were discussed in the coaching calls and you can tap one and it'll jump [00:02:42] to that.
[00:02:42] Ryan: That timestamp. Yes. So it's, it's a podcast [00:02:45] player in the app. Yes. And the Ditch Your Diet app didn't, you didn't get all [00:02:48] that content. I
[00:02:48] Maggie: don't know how else to say it other than whether you had the [00:02:51] Ditch Your Diet app. or you wanted the Ditch Your Diet app, you have [00:02:54] no idea what you're missing by not having the Vibe Club [00:02:57] coaching app.
[00:02:57] Maggie: It's like, it was just, you were able to plan, [00:03:00] get your stats, whatever. , in the coaching app, you get access [00:03:03] to so many other things, including weight tracking. , we've [00:03:06] recently, Put in a weight tracking that, that tracks similar to Happy Scale [00:03:09] because the way I teach my clients is we want to view weight loss from a, like [00:03:12] a bird's eye view.
[00:03:13] Maggie: You know, we don't want to be looking at it [00:03:15] so directly every single day. We want to be looking for [00:03:18] trends. We
[00:03:18] Ryan: put that in there and we didn't put it in there. And we
[00:03:19] Maggie: did not put it in Ditch Your Diet. It's just, [00:03:21] there's no comparison.
[00:03:22] Ryan: I don't think we've even discussed that on this [00:03:24] podcast, but it syncs with Apple Health too.
[00:03:26] Ryan: So you can literally [00:03:27] step on your scale, your weight will go into the Vibe Club app and then it'll give you [00:03:30] the metrics like Happy Scale does.
[00:03:31] Maggie: And I think someone, um, had, [00:03:33] had DM'd me the other day saying like, do we have a podcast [00:03:36] that explains what Vibe Club is? And that's not going to be today's podcast, but [00:03:39] it might be a good idea because I think it would be really helpful to let people [00:03:42] know everything that's in the app.
[00:03:43] Maggie: But there's a good explanation of that on my [00:03:45] website at VibeWithMaggie. com. It's just so, so [00:03:48] helpful. Action packed loaded with stuff. There's [00:03:51] nothing else out there like it. and I also [00:03:54] didn't want People quit too easy Okay I know because I [00:03:57] just had a big opening people join people already quitting [00:04:00] all that kind of stuff people your your brain Changes [00:04:03] quickly and it's easy to download the ditch your diet [00:04:06] app plan a couple days and then be like, no, this doesn't work.
[00:04:08] Maggie: And then you [00:04:09] write everything off. And that breaks my heart because I [00:04:12] know if you're giving up too easy on something that you don't even have the [00:04:15] full context for, that is a loss.
[00:04:17] Ryan: That's the whole [00:04:18] issue is that people were using that app. [00:04:21] To kick the tires on your process, not having the full [00:04:24] context.
[00:04:24] .
[00:04:24] Maggie: Yeah. I can't have you making up your mind about [00:04:27] what's possible for you based on an app that is [00:04:30] missing all the context. So I hope you guys, I hope you understand. Like I [00:04:33] said, in business, it's hard to know what to do, what not to [00:04:36] do. , But this is, I feel with all the decisions [00:04:39] we've been making lately, like this is the right [00:04:42] one.
[00:04:42] Maggie: It is going to mean that for the foreseeable [00:04:45] future, Vibe Club will be open. So that if someone finds my podcast [00:04:48] at a random time of year, they're not freaking screwed for three [00:04:51] months , with nothing to do, no way to [00:04:54] implement, no way to get started and get going. So we'll see how that [00:04:57] goes. But that's a decision we've made along with, [00:05:00] um, closing down new subscriptions for the Ditch Your Diet [00:05:03] app.
[00:05:03] Maggie: Bye. But please believe me when I say that if you come into Vibe [00:05:06] Club and you use it to its full capabilities [00:05:09] and you are using the app daily and using the community [00:05:12] daily, you will see success. I guarantee [00:05:15] it. It works if you put in the work. Okay, [00:05:18] so you can go to VibeWithMaggie. com and get more information [00:05:21] about that.
[00:05:21] Maggie: Anything else? Nope. Those were the two things. All [00:05:24] right. So today, we're going to chitchat about [00:05:27] restriction. And it's funny because I wanted to already have this [00:05:30] conversation a couple weeks ago when we were recording because I had a [00:05:33] client talking about a form of restriction, [00:05:36] the way that it's referred to.
[00:05:37] Maggie: In my [00:05:39] program, no, not the way that it's referred to my program, someone in my program [00:05:42] referred to it in a way where I hear it talked about often where I was like, oh, I want to address [00:05:45] that. But then I was joking around in the WhatsApp group [00:05:48] about a different way of restriction and I thought, you know, we're just gonna have a podcast [00:05:51] about restriction, what it is, what it isn't, [00:05:54] and and how other alternative ways to see it.
[00:05:56] Maggie: So, let's [00:05:57] talk about the first one. The first one is [00:06:00] one that I find a lot, and I, I honestly [00:06:03] think it's like another sneaky form of diet mentality, [00:06:06] and that is, well, I really [00:06:09] wanted to eat a cupcake. But there wasn't [00:06:12] a cupcake on my plan, but I really want [00:06:15] it and I'm afraid that if I don't eat it, that [00:06:18] might be like going back into that like restriction [00:06:21] area.
[00:06:21] Maggie: Like I don't want to be restrictive, you know, [00:06:24] and this is where we get into restrictive in the form [00:06:27] of not letting yourself have everything you [00:06:30] want. at any moment, you know?
[00:06:31] Ryan: Yeah, it's, I mean, [00:06:33] restriction is really kind of in the eye of the beholder.
[00:06:35] Maggie: Yeah. [00:06:36] And I use, I use that word a lot, which is going to be funny with this [00:06:39] podcast because I do, that is the way that I describe the [00:06:42] main problem that people have is all these years of [00:06:45] restriction.
[00:06:45] Maggie: And I hope that you guys understand what I mean in [00:06:48] the context in which I use it. However, It [00:06:51] needs to be redefined when you are on a relationship, [00:06:54] or when you are on a path of healing your relationship with food and [00:06:57] bringing the noise down a lot, that is just [00:07:00] more noise. Don't let your brain play you into [00:07:03] thinking, if I don't give into all the [00:07:06] cravings that I have, and let's be very, very clear, you wouldn't be saying [00:07:09] this about a salad and chicken thighs.
[00:07:10] Maggie: You wouldn't, you wouldn't be saying [00:07:12] that. The only reason you're saying it is because it's falling into a [00:07:15] category of foods that you used to restrict and because you [00:07:18] don't want to be restrictive anymore, that means that you [00:07:21] should be able to eat those kinds of foods when [00:07:24] you're not hungry because God forbid you restrict yourself.
[00:07:26] Maggie: [00:07:27] Alright, so this comes up a lot more than you [00:07:30] would think it comes up and what I've been loving about the podcast recently [00:07:33] is hearing people telling me that the things we're talking about [00:07:36] other people aren't talking about. They aren't getting addressed. No one's [00:07:39] talking about the grief about food. No one's talking about these [00:07:42] topics that we've been focusing on.
[00:07:43] Maggie: This is another one. [00:07:45] In a way. We're all going to be [00:07:48] restricting stuff.
[00:07:49] Ryan: I was going to ask you, is allowing [00:07:51] an urge restriction?
[00:07:52] Maggie: Yeah, that's a good question. Is [00:07:54] allowing an urge restriction? No. Why [00:07:57] would it be?
[00:07:57] Ryan: Because I have an urge for something and I'm not, and I'm not eating
[00:07:59] Maggie: [00:08:00] it. And yes, yes, sure. Then that's, that's [00:08:03] the same thing.
[00:08:03] Maggie: It's like, yes, it is. You are [00:08:06] restricting yourself from eating something that wasn't on your [00:08:09] plan.
[00:08:09] Ryan: You think this This word has just gotten a [00:08:12] weird label.
[00:08:12] Maggie: I don't know. Because like I said, I use [00:08:15] it in a certain way. And that just shows you it's the way that you [00:08:18] perceive it. And so remember how I'm always like every time I'm [00:08:21] talking, I'm going in my head thinking, how are people going to take this the wrong [00:08:24] way?
[00:08:24] Maggie: How are they going to use this against themselves? That's the same thing with [00:08:27] restriction. People do that in my program and say, well, I don't want to [00:08:30] restrict cupcakes. Isn't that what you're teaching us here? No, that's [00:08:33] not. I wouldn't say that's the primary thing I'm teaching here, but [00:08:36] yes, I believe you shouldn't.
[00:08:37] Maggie: Restrict [00:08:39] yourself from any foods, for sure. But I also believe that [00:08:42] you should restrict yourself from overeating and you [00:08:45] should restrict yourself from eating when you're not hungry [00:08:48] and you should you know what I mean there is some [00:08:51] restriction that goes on and by that I [00:08:54] mean not allowing yourself to do [00:08:57] something isn't that what restriction is when you when you were [00:09:00] little you got put on restriction right yeah yeah I'm just
[00:09:02] Ryan: wondering [00:09:03] how much of the semantics we're getting you know getting [00:09:06] into semantics here too much but it's like it's [00:09:09] what's the difference between restriction and discipline
[00:09:11] Maggie: Restriction [00:09:12] and discipline?
[00:09:12] Maggie: Well, I think If you're going to [00:09:15] define restriction into, I know you're right, it is [00:09:18] semantics, I just wanted to talk about it in the ways that I see it [00:09:21] come up, and all the ways are kind of like [00:09:24] bullshit, you know, because it's like, oh, I don't want to restrict [00:09:27] myself and then other times people are saying, I [00:09:30] like, I need to get strict.
[00:09:31] Maggie: I need to be [00:09:33] restrictive. Restriction is what's going to help me lose weight. In [00:09:36] which case I say, I mean, I kind of agree with you, but what are we [00:09:39] restricting? Are we restricting ourselves from eating when we're actually [00:09:42] hungry? Or are we restricting ourselves from not eating when we're [00:09:45] not actually hungry?
[00:09:46] Maggie: So it is semantics. And [00:09:48] this whole kind of podcast, was meant to be a [00:09:51] bit tongue in cheek because I had a client the other day that was [00:09:54] frustrated about you know, overeating or being up some weight or [00:09:57] something and was saying like, my brain is telling me I need to get back to [00:10:00] a strict plan. I need, you know, I need to restrict.[00:10:03]
[00:10:03] Maggie: And I'm like, if you want to do that, I'll play along. You [00:10:06] can, you can restrict. These are the things I want you to restrict. It's [00:10:09] not carbs and sugar. It's not, you know, [00:10:12] all your food until 3pm. I want you to restrict [00:10:15] from eating when you're not hungry. And I want you to be strict [00:10:18] with yourself about not overeating.
[00:10:20] Maggie: We can use [00:10:21] whatever words we want to use, but I'm always surprised about the things [00:10:24] that people are willing to do in the name of being [00:10:27] strict or working harder because there is going to be some work [00:10:30] involved no matter what path you take. We've talked about that a lot [00:10:33] recently. Um, and sometimes I'm learning it can [00:10:36] be, it can be helpful to kind of play along with your brain.
[00:10:38] Maggie: Like [00:10:39] imagine what would happen if your brain's like, I don't know, you need to, I think you need to be strict. [00:10:42] And you responded, yeah, I do need to be strict. You're right. I [00:10:45] need to be strict with not overeating today. I'm going to be [00:10:48] super strict with myself. And what does that mean? It means I'm not going to allow this to [00:10:51] happen.
[00:10:51] Maggie: It's not happening today. I'm going to be strict [00:10:54] with myself. I'm going to hold myself to [00:10:57] a plan today. I'm going to be following the plan. [00:11:00] I am. It's not always bad to restrict. We're [00:11:03] supposed to restrict ourselves from driving 120 miles on the [00:11:06] freeway. An hour. Right? Like there, we do all types of [00:11:09] restriction.
[00:11:09] Maggie: When I speak about restriction, I speak [00:11:12] about it in a way where you are ignoring your body. You aren't giving [00:11:15] yourself what you actually need, like food or, [00:11:18] you know what I mean? That's the restriction I think of. It's not the, I'm not [00:11:21] doing this thing. It's I'm overriding my body. I'm [00:11:24] not listening. So there's
[00:11:24] Ryan: good and bad restriction then?
[00:11:25] Ryan: Totally. Okay. So tell [00:11:27] me what's some bad restriction.
[00:11:28] Maggie: Bad restriction is, uh, [00:11:30] I don't eat these foods because I'm not [00:11:33] allowed to, it's like all the diet rules of the I [00:11:36] can't have this because I'm not allowed to, [00:11:39] um, I can't eat yet because it's [00:11:42] not 2 p. m. The restriction that the [00:11:45] problem lies within the fact that it is [00:11:48] Avoiding meeting the needs that you have and then people get there [00:11:51] like well, I want to meet this need with a cupcake What about that [00:11:54] need it's like that need can be met on the plan with hunger [00:11:57] We can't like I so I want to talk about the [00:12:00] various ways people use restriction because I it was used [00:12:03] this week in a Way that I don't even hear it as often and then I it's [00:12:06] used in another way That's like well if I'm healing my relationship with [00:12:09] food, I really want to not not let myself have [00:12:12] something that's that's restrictive You No, it's [00:12:15] not restrictive.
[00:12:15] Maggie: You just still see it in the category of a food that you [00:12:18] used to restrict. So it's just a word. [00:12:21] It's kind of like you and I get into it when I say dieting and you're like, [00:12:24] Maggie, dieting is just, it's just trying to lose weight. It's [00:12:27] just the food that you eat. It's, it's your, and [00:12:30] yes, it is what it is, but we've got to use, we got to use some words [00:12:33] to describe what we're trying, you know, to get across.[00:12:36]
[00:12:36] Maggie: And so, yeah, that's the way I use diet. I use diet in [00:12:39] the same way I use restriction, to be honest. It's [00:12:42] outsourcing, and lots of things are just [00:12:45] not allowed, and lots of [00:12:48] unnecessary rules that create a restrictive [00:12:51] experience with weight loss, which I don't think is [00:12:54] necessary, but then I always have people taking it the far opposite [00:12:57] way, where then they don't want to restrict, so they want to give themselves [00:13:00] everything.
[00:13:00] Maggie: We have to remember, like, it's rarely, yes, it [00:13:03] goes in a permissive land, we have to remember that it's rarely [00:13:06] black or white. Um, often on coaching calls or Q and A's, [00:13:09] Monica and I are just like, it depends. And sometimes we [00:13:12] really, that's why it's coaching is so important because sometimes we [00:13:15] really do need to get to know you and we need to [00:13:18] have some background and we need to know what's your history, you know, [00:13:21] because some, for some people, like for example, the [00:13:24] last member we were sharing that people were sharing the food that they had left [00:13:27] behind, amazing.
[00:13:27] Maggie: Who would that not be amazing for though? And [00:13:30] an eating disorder, right? So it's like anything, [00:13:33] anything can be black and white. Someone who has [00:13:36] no weight to lose, but has all these diet rules, like there's [00:13:39] going to be stuff that's not helpful [00:13:42] depending on you and who you are and what your history is. [00:13:45] And that's where it can be hard giving a bunch of blanket advice, [00:13:48] which, which is why I'm the queen of being like, but [00:13:51] also possibly because I'm, I try to, I try [00:13:54] to attack these things from all different angles because I'm shocked at [00:13:57] the way I can see like one word play out three different ways [00:14:00] and all three of the ways are shitty and [00:14:03] unhelpful.
[00:14:03] Maggie: So that's, you know, I get [00:14:06] it that that saying things really black and white and like this is [00:14:09] how it is like gets lots of views on the internet. But as [00:14:12] far as like applicability in life. It's not that [00:14:15] simple. So, if you, I think it's funny to play with my [00:14:18] brain sometimes because my brain is very over dramatic and stuff.[00:14:21]
[00:14:21] Maggie: And it can be helpful to be like, oh yeah, we'll be strict, okay, [00:14:24] you want to do something crazy? Here's what would be crazy. Follow your fucking [00:14:27] plan for one day. You know what I mean? Like, [00:14:30] like, it's, it's a, it's a very good, [00:14:33] um, It's a method I heard about in regards to like [00:14:36] anxiety and OCD, that like your brain says these crazy things and [00:14:39] you're like, yep, maybe, yep, you like agreeing with your [00:14:42] brain, and it's nonsense and being like, yeah, [00:14:45] I, I do need to be more strict.
[00:14:47] Maggie: Let's see if today can [00:14:48] be the first day in four weeks that I actually don't overeat. Let's [00:14:51] see. Let's try it because most people's brains go to I need to [00:14:54] be strict. So I need to go start tracking my calories again. I need to be [00:14:57] strict. So I need to like buckle things up. Okay. [00:15:00] And do things that are too dramatic and like that's going to be [00:15:03] challenging.
[00:15:03] Ryan: Yeah.
[00:15:03] Maggie: It's not going to be an easier option. It's [00:15:06] going to be another option that has its own pros and cons. [00:15:09] I would rather we just stick to the basic stuff. And if you [00:15:12] want to push yourself harder, do it here. Push [00:15:15] yourself harder here. Push yourself harder with what you allow and [00:15:18] don't allow in regards to I really want to keep [00:15:21] eating.
[00:15:21] Maggie: It's going to be challenging to stop. Well, I [00:15:24] said I wanted to get stricter with myself. Here's the time to do [00:15:27] that. I'm going to be strict and I'm going to follow through with what I said I [00:15:30] was going to follow through with.
[00:15:30] Ryan: I mean, be strict with the, with your [00:15:33] allowing urges to eat when you're not hungry.
[00:15:35] Maggie: Yeah.
[00:15:35] Ryan: Be strict [00:15:36] with that.
[00:15:36] Maggie: Be strict with what matters.
[00:15:37] Ryan: You don't want to be strict with that. [00:15:39] Yeah. Nobody does.
[00:15:39] Maggie: Yeah. And you think going and [00:15:42] trying another method is. We'll solve this [00:15:45] problem of you not having to do stuff you don't [00:15:48] want to do. That is not true. That is a facade [00:15:51] that I'm constantly trying to wake people up to.
[00:15:52] Maggie: I'm like, if you're willing to do more [00:15:54] annoying shit, do the annoying shit here. It's really [00:15:57] annoying to not keep eating popcorn [00:16:00] out of the bag while you watch Southern Charm. It is. That is so [00:16:03] annoying. I promise you, it's not more annoying than tracking calories, I [00:16:06] promise you that. It's there's annoying shit and anything you do [00:16:09] on
[00:16:09] Ryan: calories, you still have to fucking do that.
[00:16:10] Maggie: You do still have to do that. [00:16:12] Except now you also have to do math. Okay. I'll never stop [00:16:15] trying to sell that. Okay. It's like the worst thing [00:16:18] ever, except for whatever. I'm not going to get into it. [00:16:21] Okay.
[00:16:21] Ryan: It depends.
[00:16:22] Maggie: What depends?
[00:16:23] Ryan: Restriction. Yeah.
[00:16:23] Maggie: [00:16:24] Yeah.
[00:16:24] Ryan: It depends.
[00:16:25] Maggie: And I'm not, you're not going to find a new module [00:16:27] in my course called Here's the Right Way to Restrict, [00:16:30] despite the fact that Ryan will probably name the podcast [00:16:33] something to that effect, right? But, you [00:16:36] know, Don't let your brain play you is what I'm gonna say, [00:16:39] you know, it's like, you know what restriction [00:16:42] is.
[00:16:42] Maggie: Restriction is I'm starving and I'm not [00:16:45] eating. I'm starving and I'm not allowed to eat. I [00:16:48] would love to have cake, but sugar is bad for me and will make [00:16:51] me get fat. That when you are constantly [00:16:54] restricting and not realizing that that is the [00:16:57] main thing that's driving your overeating. That's the restriction we [00:17:00] want to stop.
[00:17:00] Maggie: But life has [00:17:03] restrictions. There are many things that you are [00:17:06] restricted to do, and if you do those things, you will go to jail. Like, [00:17:09] you, there, we restrict ourselves from screaming [00:17:12] at people in public. We restrict ourselves from [00:17:15] cheating on our spouses. We restrict, there's all kinds of things that [00:17:18] we're like, oh, maybe, no, I'm not going to do [00:17:21] that thing.
[00:17:21] Maggie: That's just not something that I'm going to do. We use [00:17:24] restriction all the time. And all that means is I'm [00:17:27] not allowing myself to make that [00:17:30] choice. So in that case, restrict all you want [00:17:33] by not overeating and by allowing urges [00:17:36] and by sitting in the shit and allowing it to pass [00:17:39] so that you can get the goal that you have because no matter how [00:17:42] you try to lose weight, like Ryan just said, you have to [00:17:45] do that stuff.
[00:17:46] Maggie: You have to not overeat. [00:17:48] I'm just trying to remove like six extra steps for you so you can [00:17:51] keep it super easy and super basic.
[00:17:53] Ryan: Yeah.
[00:17:53] Ryan: All [00:17:54] right, well,
[00:17:54] Maggie: that makes sense to me. Don't, don't [00:17:57] let your brain, and don't, please don't like wake up and be [00:18:00] like, how am I going to restrict today? I'm just saying if your brain, [00:18:03] everyone's brain goes down that path. Everyone's brain goes down that [00:18:06] pathway, then it doesn't even matter. Even if you like, even if [00:18:09] you are calorie counting, your brain will be like, I think it was actually keto.
[00:18:11] Maggie: Your [00:18:12] brain, no matter what you're doing, your brain is going to be like, I [00:18:15] need to be stricter. I need to be stricter with. Tracking, [00:18:18] or calorie counting, or the types of foods I'm eating, or the specific [00:18:21] diet. And that's when you need to be like, no. I need to be [00:18:24] stricter with not allowing myself to keep [00:18:27] overeating.
[00:18:27] Maggie: That's it. All roads lead back to that. And if [00:18:30] you can just tighten up on that, if you can [00:18:33] restrict there, if you can be strict with yourself in that aspect, [00:18:36] you are going to lose your weight. I have zero doubt about that. It's [00:18:39] very, it's so much less complicated than we think it is. So the next time that [00:18:42] thought pops up, that's, that's the redirect I'm, I'm commanding [00:18:45] you to use.
[00:18:45] Maggie: It works a hundred percent of the time.
[00:18:47] Ryan: Nice. [00:18:48]
[00:18:48] Maggie: All right. See you guys next week.
Maggie is a Certified Life Coach from the Life Coach School, specializing in helping people develop a mindset-first approach to weight loss. Through her podcast "Why We Overeat" and her coaching program, she helps clients break free from the cycle of dieting and develop a sustainable relationship with food.
