Are others the reason why you can’t drop those pounds?

I find it interesting yet puzzling when speaking with various people about food who counter my better food choices. For instance, I was talking to a woman about desserts and I mentioned that I was craving something sweet over the weekend so I purchased a slice of vegan raspberry cheesecake, which was absolutely delicious, tastes very similar to the real thing, but with fewer calories and healthier fats. (A slice of The Cheesecake Factory’s Raspberry Cream Cheesecake is a whopping 730 calories). She sighed loudly as if disgusted, and said, “You need to treat yourself once in a while.” Confused, I said, “That was a treat.” I’ve had this same reaction from different people, men and woman.

Why didn’t they congratulate me on choosing a sugar-free, lower calorie item, or ask me where I bought that healthier dessert so they could try it too? Baffled, I asked Erica, a physical therapist what her take was. She said, “They’re trying to make themselves feel better about their own bad behaviors.” This finally makes sense to me now. It’s no wonder that so many diets fail if other people keep discouraging you from eating well. The more often we make good food choices, the more likely we are to be nourished and keep off that belly fat.