The “what-the-hell” effect - Deepstash





To lose weight, you need to understand the psychology of why you crave the wrong things

The “what-the-hell” effect

A problem with dieting rules is that only a small violation—a sneaky slice of cake, for example—is enough to derail the whole diet. Researchers call this the “what-the-hell effect”. 



This is a professional note extracted from an online article.

Read more efficiently

Save what inspires you

Remember anything





Key Ideas

Food cues


It may be possible to train ourselves to ignore tempting cues.

Forbidden foods are more tempting

Dieting often involves “giving up” more pleasurable foods in an attempt to reduce calorie intake. But if we are asked to avoid eating the food we enjoy, researchers have found that we will crave it.

The behavioral and cognitive response to deprivation may inadvertently be creating more temptation.



People struggle to keep weight off


Why long-term weight loss is so hard



Maintaining weight loss



Reject the diet mentality

Dieting isn’t sustainable. Quick-fix plans cannot deliver lasting results.
he first principle of intuitive eating is to stop dieting—and to stop believing societ...

Honor your hunger

Eat a sufficient amount of calories and carbohydrates to keep your body “fed” and satiated. Once you learn to recognize these signals in your own body, it becomes much easier to trust your instincts and repair unhealthy relationships with food.

Make peace with food

Give yourself “unconditional permission to eat.”

People realize they don’t really want that food that was forbidden before; they just got caught up in society telling them they couldn’t have it.

7 more ideas

Revisit what you know


Steer clear of opaque food containers

Don't eat out of food containers, boxes, and bags that aren't clear.

Our brains are highly visual. We take visual cues as to how much food we’ve eaten to help us know when we should stop. When you can't see how much food you’ve had, you never get that visual feedback and you end up eating way too much.

Ditch dieting

Dieting limits one's mind-set.

Once you're off your diet and have lost weight, you might revert back to eating poorly, not exercising and ultimately regain pounds. Instead, focus on your long-term eating habits.

6 more ideas