Not to be a Negative Nelly, but I’m here to tell you that dieting is a waste of your time, energy, and money. There are many reasons that “diets” simply do NOT work. While many of us blame ourselves for lack of willpower, many other factors may also contribute to the demise of our diets. The next time you consider making a New Year’s resolution consider the following:
Diets often create a deprivation mentality. They cause us to be too rigid with our food choices, our calorie counting, and our portion sizes. Over time, this feeling of rigidity and deprivation will lead us to rebel against our diet. It’s not that we don’t have willpower, but rather, this way of thinking and eating is just not something we can do for a sustained amount of time. It simply doesn’t work for the long-term.
Along the same line, Counting Calories and the resulting hunger it brings can often lead to headaches, mood swings, fatigue, and brain fog. Being hangry (hungry and angry) is no way to live your life, and it certainly isn’t going to make you someone people want to be around, even after you fit into those skinny jeans.
Cravings can also play a part in sabotaging our diets. Cravings are a funny thing. The first part is understanding the difference between a physical craving and an emotional craving. When your stomach starts growling or you have gone 3-4 hours without eating, it’s most likely physical. But if you’re bored, angry, or tired, it’s most likely emotional. The second is understanding that there are certain foods that we love and want in our life. By attempting to swear them off for eternity, we are setting ourselves up for failure, and ultimately, yo-yo dieting. If you have lost and gained the same 10 pounds more than you care to admit, you are probably yo-yoing!
Social Pressures are an unavoidable part of life, but they can present serious challenges for dieters. How many times have you been amped up about a diet, only to find yourself at a event where foods looked too tempting and quickly lost your resolve. Few of us want to live in isolation. We are meant to be out there and part of life. We must go to parties, social gatherings, dates, dinners with family and friends, etc. Diets don’t account for living life and the occasional splurge. Sometimes you just have to have the glass of wine (or two) at a party, your mom’s homemade cookies, or the dinner that Mr. Handsome made for you on date-night.
Simply stated, diets are a temporary fix and do not facilitate long term habit changes. Many people who reach their target goal go right back to “normal” eating and then the weight comes back on, making us feel like failures.
The solution: Change your way of thinking. Instead of thinking of the number on the scale and counting calories, try to think in terms of creating a healthy lifestyle for yourself. Ask yourself, in what ways do you want to start nourishing your body? Try giving yourself healthy meals and snacks that provide you with energy and make you want to move and feel alive. This is the key to success.
Move away from processed foods that put chemicals in our bodies, and often set us up for physical cravings. Go on a mission to discover what whole foods are out there and ways to creatively cook them so your meals are tasty and exciting. Instead of thinking about the foods you don’t get to eat, try to think about the foods you do get to eat, and how you’re finally loving yourself enough to take care of your mind and body. And lastly, recognize that this is a journey not a race. Love every step of the process and be gentle with yourself along the way.