There Are 5 Different Eating Personalities—Knowing Yours Can Help You Lose Weight

              
By Marygrace Taylor, Prevention

When trying to lose weight, the two things that most of us zero in on are diet and exercise. (Makes sense, right?) But there's one other factor that you need to account for, and it's a biggie: Your personality. 

[post_ads]Yup, experts are starting to realize that who you are as an individual can determine a whole lot when it comes to your success (or lack thereof) with certain weight loss programs. "You are who you are, and that's not gonna change. What good is information [about how to lose weight] if it isn't based on your personality?" says Jen Widerstrom, Biggest Loser trainer and author of Diet Right For Your Personality Type.

Widerstrom isn't the only one who believes that personality plays a big role in how we approach healthy eating. When it comes to food, most of us are either moderators or abstainers, says Happier at Home author Gretchen Rubin. Moderators do better when they avoid strict rules and are allowed to indulge, well, moderately. (Piece of chocolate after dinner, anyone?) But abstainers are the opposite: For them, indulging tends to open up the floodgates, and one piece of chocolate after dinner turns into the whole bar—followed by a bag of chips. So they fare better by steering clear of temptation altogether.  

 

In short, being forced to swear off sugar or carbs will probably backfire for a moderator. And if you're an abstainer, trying to follow a weight loss plan that includes small treats every day might make it tough for you to stay on track. Makes total sense, right? (Repeat after us: No more dieting. Ever. Instead, learn how to eat clean—with zero deprivation!—and watch the pounds drop off, with Your Metabolism Makeover.)

That's why it's so important to eat for your personality type, and figure out a weight loss plan that honors who you are and doesn't fight against it. In her book, Widerstrom outlines the 5 different types she's come across in her years of training clients—and lays out the unique approach that each type should take to lose weight successfully. Here's a look at 3 common ones, and the tactics that help them thrive:

             

             

The Organized Doer

If you're routinely described as Type A, you're probably an Organized Doer. "There's nothing Organized Doers love more than writing a list and checking each item off," Widerstrom explains. OD's are self-motivated and love feeling accomplished, so they tend to do well with a checklist-style approach to losing weight with concrete tasks they can do every day. Think, taking a walk every morning before work, and always having at least two servings of veggies with lunch.   

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The Swinger

[post_ads]Are you the one who always invites everyone at the office to happy hour (just stick to these nutritionist-approved drinks), or who loves chatting with the person next to you in the grocery store checkout line? If so, you might be a swinger. Because you crave stimulation and novelty, you're game to try almost any weight loss plan. Problem is, you tend to get bored quickly, so you leap frog from one plan to the next without giving anything a chance to work. Instead of a predictable checklist, you need options and variety. Think eggs or a smoothie for breakfast, and jogging or Spin class, based on your mood that day. 

                  

               

The Everyday Hero

Chances are, you wish you could stick with a checklist structure like Organized Doers. But you can't, because you're stretched so thin taking care of everyone else. "An Everyday Hero isn't going to take on an investment in themselves if it's competitive with a preexisting obligation, like their kid's ballet class," Widerstrom says. The fix? Find ways to streamline so you don't get thrown off track, like making standing appointments with a personal trainer or using your slow cooker to make a healthy dinner. 

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