"Food Frenemies": The New Dieting Dilemma

Dieting in secret has become a growing habit for many people. Whether it's hiding their dieting secrets, the need for privacy, or trying to keep self confidence, people want to keep dieting to themselves. With all we hear about diet buddies, and group support, why is this such a popular trend?

This doesn't surprise me at all! When people announce they are on a diet, this adds a lot of invisible pressure to succeed. Plus, there's a lot of pressure that others feel, to do the same—whether they want to or not. That's what I call "food frenemies." When you announce that you're trying to lose weight, your friends automatically feel they should be doing the same, even though this may not true at all, and they feel guilty about it. Often, this is translated into diet sabotage for you and an effort to try to get you to eat more! I'm sure you've heard it all. Here are some of the more popular responses from these food frenemies:

C'mon, you've been working so hard on your diet, you should reward yourself right now!

A salad isn't enough for you. Get something else, too.

We'll just share everything—that will keep you on track and won't spoil your diet.

Sound familiar? It's hard to fight back, but once you recognize this pattern, you can empower yourself, and not be bothered by food frenemy talk!

There's also a flip side of secret dieting, which is a real positive, in my book. What I mean is the ability to make small changes at each meal, silently with "mental notes," to save calories and stay on track. No need to announce or share your actions with anyone buy yourself! This is a very successful strategy, that avoids a lot of "diet-talk" at mealtimes.

A successful diet plan begins and ends with you! When you are confident and empowered, you have the confidence to rely on yourself for diet guidance.