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“The words you choose to describe your food and yourself have real power,” Hartwig says. “Treating yourself like a child who needs to ‘be good’ on their diet is misguided. What happens when a child misbehaves? They are punished. Cleaning up your diet.” And try to stop categorizing the foods you eat as “good” or “bad.” Doing so only heightens the guilt you feel when you eat something from your “bad” list.

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Hartwig writes, “Someone asked me on Facebook recently, ‘I ate a Whole30-inspired diet all day, and I know what to call that—I just say I ate Whole30. But what should I call it when later, I eat some pizza? Cheat? Slip? Fail?’” Her reply: “What if you just called it ‘eating pizza?’”

It sounds silly, but it’s effective. When you start obsessing over whether or not to eat one of the cupcakes at your friend’s party, your stress has the power to alter your breathing—“kind of like panic breathing,” says Hartwig. So “by changing your breathing pattern, you can send a signal to your nervous system that you’re actually DOING JUST FINE, which helps you activate the willpower center of your brain and feel more in control.” There’s no need to stop what you’re doing to meditate; simply focus on slowing down your breathing Ways to Stop Feeling So Anxious Around Food, From the Co-Creator of Whole30.

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Best Gifts for Runners Women Share the One Mistake That Sabotaged Their Weight-Loss Journey for Years weight loss. For instance, more energy, clearer skin, fuller hair, or fewer joint aches. “At Whole30, we call these types of improvements ‘non-scale victories,’” Hartwig says. Whether you’re trying the Whole30 or simply focusing on making better food choices, these extra perks can help keep you on track. “Free yourself from the preoccupation with body weight and allow yourself the space to focus on all the other things that are changing as the result of your healthy eating efforts,” says Hartwig.

When that second beer or plate of brownies is sitting on the table right in front of you, it’s hard to resist grabbing another. But first, ask yourself if you really want it—and push that food aside before answering, says Hartwig. “Tell yourself you’re not going to eat it now, but if you still really want it 15 minutes from now (or an hour from now, or tomorrow), you’ll allow yourself to enjoy it then,” she says. “This gives your brain the space it needs to DAA Industry Opt Out, whether you’re just feeling bored/anxious/lonely, etc., and whether or not it will actually be worth it.”

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Exactly How to Carb Load for a Stronger Race truly enjoy what you’re eating. Why buy that cookie from your favorite bakery if you scarf it down so quickly you hardly taste it? In Hartwig’s words: “Get downright romantic with that cookie.” On the flipside, if that cronut is not nearly as delicious as you imagined before biting into it (hey, maybe they’re just not your thing), don’t hesitate to stop eating. “The only Cleaning up your diet in a less-healthy treat in the first place is if it’s so incredibly, deliriously worth it that you’re willing to accept the less-healthy consequences,” Hartwig says.

While eating, “make a habit of putting down your fork or glass between every bite or sip,” says Hartwig. This little trick will help you enjoy the flavors on your fork and give your brain time to catch up to hunger signals from your digestive system. It’s also “a physical cue to think about what you’re eating and how it’s making you feel.” (Here are 6 tricks nutritionists use to slow down their meals.)

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The article 6 you’re on a diet, you’ve probably tried to watch what you eat or originally appeared on Prevention.