It’s ironic. Those who ‘diet’ the most, are often those who struggle with their weight. Those who just relax and eat are those who we call ‘blessed with a good metabolism.’ Maybe we should take a hint?
“An estimated 45 million Americans diet each year and spend $33 billion annually on weight loss products. Yet, nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. From self-consciousness to physical limitations, many overweight people feel that their size is keeping them from being the person they truly are.” -Boston Medical Center, 2014.
This is crazy town.
~ Please don’t ever go on a diet ever, ever, ever again ~
~ Promise me right here, right now…No more diets – EVER IN YOUR LIFE! ~
Diets set you up to fail in 4 big ways:
1. They are temporary. The 28 day, 21 day, 7 day, 90 day whatever ‘fix’ is just that…a patch. Its not healing or curative. I understand the marketing here, I really do. Its sexy, and sex sells! But don’t fall for it – you’re so much smarter than that! What happens after your 28 day whatever…then you still haven’t dealt with WHY you eat the way you do. It doesn’t get to your core mindset you have around food, relationships, and your self worth. If you follow the ‘program’ you’ll certainly lose some weight, but you’ve pumped your body full of artificial supplements (not sustainable) and you have to continue that restrictive program forever. Good luck with that, but its not my thing!
2. Diets rely on motivation and self-control. Both which are a joke long term! Motivation and self-control are exhaustible resources, and they go right out the window in no time. So you think “Gosh, I just don’t have the self- control that others have, I’m sure a failure and I can’t make this happen.” This is WRONG! That is not the truth, that is fundamentally wrong. You are anything but a failure!! Do NOT let that sink to your soul. No way.
3. They increase your stress response. It’s physiology, folks! Your body’s design is WAY smarter than your conscious mind and it will always prevail. Excessive cardio and disordered eating increases cortisol in your system, also a negative attitude when eating (think rushed or stressed) blocks our ’emotional metabolism.’ Cortisol excess equals extra weight, especially around the middle.
Also, emotional freedom must be met for appropriate hormone function, which runs all of your bodies processes including metabolism. Yes, your emotions in part control your hormonal response. If you’ve had child for example, the emotion of love creates a rush of oxytocin, which feeds back to your brain to secrete prolactin which releases milk. Emotion = function in the body! Voila. So they way you feel about yourself and the way you ‘restrict’ and fret about food and your diet plan, you block your own progress. You may be able to force it for a while, sure, but eventually your mind wins out over time. Change your mindset, and your actions/body will follow.
4. They leave you nutrient deprived. Yikes! We need macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) and micronutrients (minerals, trace minerals, vitamins) to function. These nutrient needs must be met with the foods you eat. Think about it in terms of 3 big cups (macros) and countless small cups (micros) that represent what you need to give your body to nourish it. Ask yourself: Is my diet filling those cups? Did I get all of my selenium, copper, manganese (etc.) that my body needed today? Is this diet coke filling up any of those nutrient cups today? Umm..NOPE!
Supplements continually come up in studies saying they do not do what they claim. When a nutrient is processed down, the structure gets denatured (fancy term for malformed). When a protein gets denatured, it doesn’t function the way it should, or at all. So you may be taking in ‘Vitamin X’ but is it functioning the way it would if you ate it from a whole food? Probably not in the same capacity. View supplements as a ‘maybe’ this works, but hands down fill your nutrient cups with real food first.
When you restrict calories, you statistically reduce the chances you are filling those nutrient cups in the first place. Then you realize you are eating ‘diet foods’ which are typically devoid of actual nutrients, your chances of filling those cups is even smaller.
Then your body ends up essentially malnourished (YES!! You can be overweight and malnourished, absolutely!). Your body is super smart and will create cravings to increase its odds of getting the nutrients.
The advice is always the same, but until you want to hear it..it won’t sink in.
Eat whole foods, close to their natural state, lots of vegetables and get variety. Limit processed products. Get lots of water and sleep. Move your body in ways that you enjoy.
It is very simple but takes some intentional eye-opening to what is REALLY going on with your relationship with yourself and food.
Will you say NO to diets forever? I sure have…
Love this.
Focusing on food and disliking your body as a mom also deprives you of enjoying the moment, makes dinner time stressful, and passes that fear and unhappiness to our children. Learning to love your body and food is a beautiful thing to pass on to your kids.
Yes, Your body is so smart!
There’s also a theory that diets fail because your body is working to protect you by keeping you at a certain weight. (protect you from being seen/loved, protect you from others seeing you as sexy, etc). That’s why some people can eat whatever they want and remain a weight they want and some people can diet hardcore and not lose a pound.
You got it babe! There is a major emotional component to weight, as is – just as you said – what keeps someone stuck. Until that is dealt with (a whole other post and beyond!!!), not much progress will be made (or any!) There actually is an amazing podcast that I just started having my clients listen to – its called the “Psychology of Eating” Podcast and it is a great showcase of those scenarios. I personally think everyone can relate!
So happy that you have – or are working on – freedom with your body and food – I do believe that is an amazing gift to them! Good for you mama 🙂
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