(I'm doing an experiment where I publish new articles and podcast episodes at the same time, on the same content, and see how that goes. If you want to ask questions for the podcast, you can become a podcast insider over at Patreon by clicking here.)

When you start a meal thinking, "I shouldn't eat too much of this," that's a diet.

Meaning: it's diet mentality, it's fear of food, fear of amounts, an attempt at controlling from the outside in, it's fear of weight, and fear and mistrust of your appetite.

Instead, thinking, "I don't know that I want all of this" is a totally different story. That's legit, you don't have to be hungry for everything on your plate. You don't have to want the food that is in front of you. But thinking 'I shouldn't eat too much of this.'  ????

Why? Because a diet book once told you how much you should be hungry for? Because getting full scares you? WHY?

If eating a meal, or eating certain food has the power to make you gain weight, you probably need to gain weight. Hear that again:

If satiating your hunger makes you gain weight, you probably need to gain weight.

Meaning, metabolically, if eating a big meal is going to change your weight? You should probably let it, because the main reason our weight yo-yos is because we are chronically underfed and metabolically compromised.

Eat your freaking food. Food shoulds are BS. External, food-fearing, amount-fearing portion control is a diet.