WHY DIETS JUST DON’T WORK – PART I

In reference to weight loss goals, there is a weight number we have in mind that we want to obtain, and there are estimates on how much time it might take to reach that goal. But the difference is that when you have “diet” thinking, once you reach that goal, you are pretty much done with the diet.

You had a goal in mind, you met it, now you tend to slip back into some old habits again – the very ones that put excess weight on to begin with.

This is the trap of dieting. If we are implementing healthy eating as a lifestyle, then we won’t fall into this type of trap, because there is constant room for growth. It’s not about perfection, it’s not about being a certain weight by a certain time, etc. It’s about making progress.

And this is so incredibly important, because over time you learn how to persevere, you learn what foods work for or against your body, you learn about nutrition, and you learn about being in control of your decisions. Lifestyle living is more than losing weight. You learn quite a bit on the journey.

When you diet, which usually requires calorie restriction, your body actually increases your appetite over time and can cause you to hold onto fat stores. Your body doesn’t know you just want to fit into that special outfit next month, but rather it thinks you’re starving. It’s been down that road before, it knows fuel is scarce and it slows down your metabolism to conserve energy.

We need to understand the body chemistry behind it all. One of the culprits behind that body chemistry is the hormone leptin. When you lose weight, fat loss leads to decreased levels of leptin, because leptin resides in fat. So, the more fat you have, the more leptin you have. Leptin tells our body we’re not starving… that we are satisfied. Therefore, when working correctly, it qualms our hunger cues.

When you diet by skipping meals and eating too low-calorie, Leptin begins to signal you to eat more to restock your lost energy supply. You can also lose muscle mass during dieting, as well, causing your body to conserve that energy store by lowering metabolism.

This is why dieters often regain up to two-thirds of their weight loss within a year and that a third end up heavier than they did before they dieted. Then they start the process all over again. This process of regaining weight can also lead to another frustrating aspect of dieting, which is an overall increase in fat percentage.

Once again, it’s all about body chemistry… it’s not a diet. Even getting rid of that word “diet” is a huge step in the right direction. It’s negative. The bottom line is that it can be quite frustrating to put a lot of work into losing weight, only to gain it back again. It’s a super emotional and psychological heartache that we need to avoid by having the proper mindset and approach.