Is flexible dieting becoming rigid restraint?

If "flexible dieting" has you weighing an apple core to "hit your numbers" there's nothing flexible about it.

Flexible dieting has been shown to outperform rigid dieting in terms of both physical and emotional outcomes. Yet many people turn this “flexible” approach into another rigid diet.

Turning food into numbers, ignoring hunger cues and creating a pathology around food in order to be “perfect” is not going to improve your relationship with food. And it might not even help you lose weight.

That’s because rigidity is akin to restriction and overly restrictive diets often lead to overeating and weight gain. It seems counterintuitive that trying to lose weight can lead to weight gain but it happens often. Especially when we try to live our lives in a state of restriction.

Use a method that works for you but if you’re not truly approaching a flexible approach with any flexibility, don’t be surprised when the results aren’t what you expected.