Let’s talk about the difference between restriction and making an informed decision, specifically when it comes to taking care of ourselves, our fitness, and nutrition. A lot of people assume that just because someone follows a certain diet or exercises in such a way that appears regimented, they automatically assume the person is being strict. I’m going to address today with a few goals in mind. The first is that you’ll know how to speak up for yourself in the face of criticism, whether it’s from friends, family, co-workers, partners or spouses, or even strangers (both offline and online). Secondly, you’ll also know how to recognize your own habits, goals, and mindset in these areas- being tightly strict or having actual intentions that are, generally, for a greater good. If you’re ready, let’s get started.

Restriction

What does it mean to be strict? Or rather, what does restriction look like? In health and fitness, that can manifest in a number of ways.
Cutting out foods like gluten, dairy, or soy. Scaling down on other things like junk food or dessert. Limiting carbs, fats, protein, etc. Having everything tightly controlled, from measuring the exact portion sizes down to the last milligram and ounce. Micromanaging every single morsel that goes down your gullet and allowing little to no room for error in the form of surprise takeout, snacks, unplanned foods. Even timing when you can or cannot eat can, on the surface, appear as strict.
With fitness, similar things can happen. Logging every mile. Sticking to a specific plan down to the very last minute or rep. Making things harder, longer. Once again, micromanaging everything to the point where you cannot accept any failure or things that might keep you off track. You can even be the kind of person who absolutely will not do one form of exercise or physical activity in favor of another. (Think of the current trend of hating cardio in all of its shapes and forms.)

According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary, restriction, or restrict, is defined as follows, “To confine within bounds: restrain.” [1] Heading over restrain, you get the following definition, “To prevent from doing, exhibiting, or expressing something. To limit, restrict, or keep under control. To moderate or limit the force, effect, development, or full exercise of.” [2]
Put this description in the back of your head for a second, because it will into play in just a second!

Informed Decisions

Now, let’s take a look at what it means to make an informed decision. Using our trusty dictionary, being informed means to, “Have information. Educated, knowledgeable.” [3] But words are only talk, right? What does this look like in practice?  Well, one of the keywords from the definition of informed was information. That information could be anything, though. It could simply be knowing what works and what doesn’t for your body (like the concept of bio-individuality), or having a strong sense of body-awareness or intuition. On the other hand, that information could be based on what you think works. The anecdotal claims from reviews, what someone said on Instagram, expert talks (whether they were qualified or not)… information itself is subjective. What kind of information are we talking about? Grandiose statements that are actually false or overhyped? Or concrete evidence? So, when making an informed decision, you also have to consider the source of your information. Which is easier said than done. Depending on what you’re making the decision about, it may take quite a length of time to research, understand, and actually put into practice.

The Differences

When you get down to it, restriction and informed decisions actually overlap. You could be restrictinggluten because you know (aka, are informed) that it triggers your (confirmed) intolerance due to having celiac disease. At first glance, someone may criticize you for being strict after you refused to eat a slice of pizza. But if you explained to them that you had celiac, then they’d quickly change their mind and understand that your actions were intentional rather than restrictive for restriction’s sake.
On the flipside, you could be restricting a lotof dietary fat because someone told you that dietary fat makes you, well, fat, without providing any evidence to their claims. You’re just going by word of mouth and on the basis that this person happens to have a body type you admire. So, you cut out fat.
And that’s where you open the door to potentially morerestriction. Suddenly, you’re cutting out all sources of fat, including the healthy ones from nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocadoes, and fish. Pretty soon, you start feeling awful. You go to your doctor for a physical, and a number of red flags go up. You’ve lost an incredible amount of weight. And your bloodwork shows that you’re developing nutrient deficiencies. When the doctor asks what you’ve been doing, you tell them that you eat a 100% clean and healthy diet, without any treats. You religiously track your calories and are almost afraid of fat. And herein lies the problem. What started out as something small quickly grew into something big and serious.

I hope you know where this is going. Being overly strict can result in eating disorders or even orthorexia, which is when you’re obsessedwith your diet. You’re almost too informed to the point that you forget you’re only human. Your food restriction becomes a restriction on your life. If this behavior continues to evolve there will be consequences; some of which are irreversible. Although I am by no means saying that this is the case for everyone, it’s a cautionary tale we must all be aware of.

The Merge

So, based on all of this information, here’s what you can do: merge the two together. When it comes to your fitness, diet, and lifestyle, it helps to be informed. That way, you won’t be swayed by misleading or harmful information, influencers, and marketing. You can also be informed by paying close attention to your body and noticing whether a certain food positively or negatively affects you. If eating processed foods makes you sick, then use restriction as a means of making you feel your best. However, on the flipside, know that too muchrestriction can backfire. If you’re missing out on your favorite meals or spending all of your time working out instead of balancing it with friends, hobbies, and other things outside of fitness, then that’s a problem. It’s a fine balancing act where you have a level of respect for your body and are also flexible enough to know that it’s OK to indulge from time to time. Being informed makes you confident and connected to your intuition. Being restrictive, on the other hand, can act as a gateway to obsession. If you use it correctly though, it can help you to manage a specific condition like diabetes or celiac, or keep you on track towards a goal (i.e., running a marathon, gaining or losing weight, sports, etc.)

Like I mentioned before, the key takeaway here is about balance. Please, let me know your thoughts down in the comments and let’s get the conversation going! I think that many of us struggle to keep up with appearances and are often intimidated by the whole “influencer”-based wellness culture online these days, and I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to live in a bubble in order to look and feel your best!

Sources:
[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restricts
[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restrain
[3] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informed