At any given time, millions of people are on a diet, especially in North America. The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. They are invested in having you believe that diets work. However, they do not. Research shows that over 90% of people who go on a diet and successfully lose weight will gain it back within three years (or less). Many more of those people will gain additional weight to what they lost so they will wind up fatter, not fitter, than before they dieted.
That is not to say that you should relegate yourself to a life of being overweight. Far from it. Obesity is a risk factor for a variety of diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even some cancers. There is another way to release weight. It is by changing your habits. Healthy habits like eating fresh, whole foods and drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day will help you get to your set weight, which is your body’s natural, healthy weight, not the weight that a BMI chart or a diet guru promises you.
Those same diet gurus will tell you that the secret to weight loss is simple – it’s calories in, calories out. You should have a calorie deficit every day which means that you consume less calories than you burn. This is, they maintain, what leads to lasting and sustainable weight loss.
That is too simplistic. Diets are a one-size-fits-all solution to a problem that is not getting better. In fact, it’s getting worse. We are heavier than ever before with estimates showing an increase in obese individuals, not a decrease.
So, why don’t restrictive diets work? There are two main reasons. First, when you restrict foods or food groups, this leads you to a scarcity mindset that causes you to crave the ‘forbidden food’. As a result, when you give in and have it, you will eat more of it. Yes, deprivation leads to binge behavior which can make you heavier, not lighter. You’ll also feel shame and guilt along the way.
Second, when you restrict calories, the body goes into survival (or starvation) mode and subsists on fewer calories. As a result, you may still eat less and weigh more. You’ll definitely be carrying around more fat and less muscle, which is the opposite of what you need for optimal metabolic functionality.
What can you do instead of dieting? For one thing, you can practice healthy eating and exercise habits. Eat fresh, whole foods whenever possible and reduce your intake of processed foods (anything that comes in a bag or a box). Eat a wide variety of foods from all food groups. Try to eat healthy fats like avocadoes, fish, nuts, or seeds.
By getting off the dieting bandwagon, you can get more in tune with what your body needs to eat and how much of it. Intuitive eating is not eating whatever you want when you want. It’s eating food that you enjoy when you’re physically hungry and stopping when you’re physically full. It takes a while for you to figure out what that looks like because we eat habitually or emotionally.
For more information on intuitive eating, please reach out to me at dcgoodson@gmail.com. I am running some group sessions on Overcoming Mind Hunger in January and would love it if you joined me. Visit https://sparkmannutrition.com/overcoming-mind-hunger/ for more information or come to our December info sessions to be held on Monday the 11th at 6pm CST and Wednesday the 13th at 12pm CST. You only need to attend one.
Deanna Goodson 