“Deprivation is not the solution to weight gain. The word ‘diet’ was once used to describe a way of eating; now, it’s a way of not eating” Kausman

USING THE NON-DIET APPROACH
• Take your focus off body weight, put the scales away and replace them with achievable goals for sustainable healthy behaviours (such as going for a walk three times a week)
• Change the way you think about food. Instead of categorising foods as ‘good’ and ‘bad’, think of them as ‘healthy everyday food’ or ‘sometimes’ food. Something that is forbidden is more appealing.
• Listen to and learn to trust your body signals. Before eating rate your hunger/fullness levels from 0 (completely empty) to 10 (full). Lon term rigid dieting tends to result in women ignoring body signals in favour of following diet rules.
• Give yourself permission to eat when hungry. Fighting feelings of hunger is not sustainable long term.
• If you are not hungry, explore why you are eating. Are you bored, stressed, or using food as a reward or as a way of coping? Are you confusing hunger with thirst? Are you eating because the food is there, or because the clock says its time to eat, or you were taught never to waste food? Explore healthier ways to cope with stress or painful emotions.
• Reduce the amount of eating you do when not physically hungry. Dr Kausman suggests saying to yourself “I can have it if I want it but do I really feel like it?” or “I can have it if I want it but will I really enjoy it?” This question is a great way to start becoming aware of what’s happening for you around food.
• Eat slowly, and savour each mouthful. This will be hard to do unless you let go of “good” and “bad” labels on foods, as feeling guilty about eating usually leads to fast eating. At least once a day, give your full awareness with all your senses to the experience of eating (without watching TV, reading or other distractions).

Source: Dr Caroline Horwaths article in the Listener Jan 2009.
Dr Rick Kausmans book is called IF NOT DIETING, THEN WHAT?