External Control vs Internal Regulation

POV you only feel in control when you’re dieting

Something I see a lot…

People feel their most “in control” when they’re dieting.

And the most out of control when they’re not.

At the surface, it looks like a discipline issue.

It’s not. It’s a regulation issue.

Dieting gives you external control.

Clear rules.
Clear structure.
Clear decisions.

You don’t have to think much. You just follow. And that creates a sense of control.

But the moment those rules are gone… you’re left having to make decisions on your own.

When you’re not dieting or following a strict plan, you now have to rely on internal regulation instead of external control.

And that’s where things feel messy, hard, and confusing

Internal regulation is a skill.

It’s understanding your behaviours, your hunger, and your patterns without needing strict rules to guide you.

Most people haven’t practiced that.

They’ve spent years either on a plan or off a plan, but not in that middle space where you’re actually learning how to navigate your choices.

So, of course, it feels out of control! You’re being asked to use a skill you haven’t built yet.

The goal isn’t to always have more structure and rules

It’s to be able to make aligned decisions with or without it.

Question for the day…
If there were no rules… would you trust the decisions you make?

That’s the skill worth building.

Olivia Oneid

Coach, Master Athletic Performance