Flexible Dieting

Flexible dieting is a term that describes individualizing nutrition programs to meet the person where they are at, as opposed to a cookie-cutter approach to food. It is often used interchangeably with ‘if it fits your macros’ (IIFYM) but this is just one example of a flexible dieting approach.  It literally is about being flexible and not having a dichotomous view of dieting, foods, food groups or macronutrients etc. For some this is counting macronutrients, for others it is basing their food intake on certain amounts of different food groups, for others it is considering the timing of their food. The end result in all cases is to create a calorie deficit that allows somebody to lose excess body fat successfully. Regardless of the approach, it needs to be something that can be sustained in the long term, and there does need to be an element of restriction for most people to achieve this.

In essence, it is less about the food itself and more about the psychological approach to it. In the literature, Westenhoefer described two different styles of cognitive dietary restraint. There is rigid restraint - seeing foods, dieting and the dieting process as black or white, good or bad, all or nothing. Foods are eliminated from the diet and if (for one reason or another) there is a slight deviation, this is catastrophized and that person is much more likely to come completely off their plan. The other end of the spectrum, flexible restraint, is much more open, much more ‘grey’ than black or white. Most foods (if tolerated) are included in the plan, and if there is a deviation it isn’t catastrophic. As long as the person is making decisions based around their goals, and being consistent over time, then nothing is ‘ruined’. While flexible dieting and rigid dieting exist on a continuum, with complete flexibility having minimal parameters around calories, food choice, timing and diet quality, relying more on intuition than on instruction, some guidelines are generally required. A better approach is likely one where recommendations are given around diet quality and food choice, where there could be a calorie and protein and fiber target (letting fat and carbohydrate fall as they may).

Having a flexible mindset with diet, rather than a ‘rigid’ mindset is most often associated with a more favorable physique and psychological outcomes in the long run. While it seems that people are born with this mindset, it is in fact a set of skills that can be trained over time. Here are eight actionable tips that help with this and ultimately enable someone to implement flexible dieting in a way that is sustainable.

1. Reframe restraint as empowerment, not deprivation. This mindset shift is a big one. Think of it as flexible control and not rigid restriction. Language matters for this. Instead of thinking ‘I can’t have this’, can you instead say ‘I am choosing NOT to have this’ – writing down a couple of key phrases like this allows you to actively work on the inner voice that might be driving the deprivation mindset, allowing you to change the self-talk over time.

2. Practice mindful awareness. Before eating, pause and ask yourself if you are truly hungry. Question whether eating will support how you truly want to feel or is this a distraction from what is really going on? Pausing for 10 minutes when a craving hits and allowing some space can be enough time for the craving to pass. Try using a hunger/fullness scale to guide your eating (from 1-10) rather than external cues alone.

3. Set clear nutritional structures. If you have pre-planned your meals and snacks (or pre-logged them, for people who are tracking), this can help remove decision fatigue in the moment (and being reactive). It can also stop you having to exert restraint at every single eating opportunity. It can also be helpful to remove tempting foods out of sight for this reason.

4. Using habit-based cues can help you be more mindful around portion control. Portion out what you will be eating, putting leftovers aside before you begin to eat, not having food out on the table (buffet style) are some ways to help set yourself up to being more successful. Eating off a smaller plate and avoiding multitasking when eating further helps to build awareness around the amount you’re consuming and staying in tune with satiety signals.

5. Anticipate and plan for vulnerable moments as they will happen. Have a decision tree ready so when the time arises (and you’re in danger of making a decision that doesn’t align with your goals), you have another option available to you. For example, ‘when I feel like a snack because I’m bored, I’ll take a 10 min walk.’ Pre-commit with some if/then plans ahead of time. For example, ‘If I’m offered a dessert, I’ll have a decaf coffee instead.’

6. Practice decision making in low stakes settings. This could look like deliberately leaving a few bites behind on your plate, even if you could finish them. It might be skipping a snack you normally have out of habit and not true hunger (have a low/no calorie drink instead). These micro-restraints build your ability to pause and choose, reinforcing the delayed gratification that is required with cognitive restraint. Choose one situation per day to practice this.

7. Build in flexibility intentionally. Cognitive restraint isn’t about white knuckling it forever. Plan in ‘flexible indulgences’ once or twice per week (i.e. a dessert, or Friday night pre dinner drinks so you begin to challenge any all or nothing thinking that might be undermining your decisions. Knowing that you can enjoy certain foods later reduces the urgency and impulsivity now, which is the essence of delayed gratification.

8. Celebrate the process, not just the outcome. Acknowledge your effort as you develop this skill around cognitive restraint and other behaviors that lead you to your end goal, not just what the scales say. Make note of the times you paused and chose differently and give yourself some kudos for that. Reinforcement can help strengthen the intrinsic motivation that is ultimately required.

References:

Conlin LA, Aguilar DT, Rogers GE, Campbell BI. Flexible vs. rigid dieting in resistance-trained individuals seeking to optimize their physiques: A randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021 Jun 29;18(1):52. doi: 10.1186/s12970-021-00452-2. PMID: 34187492; PMCID: PMC8243453.

Westenhoefer J. Dietary restraint and disinhibition: is restraint a homogeneous construct? Appetite. 1991 Feb;16(1):45-55. doi: 10.1016/0195-6663(91)90110-e. PMID: 2018403.