Chances are you've been on and off weight loss diets numerous times, but you probably
weigh just as much now as you ever did. Do you get it? This means diets don't work. So
stop going on diets and looking for the magic one that works for you. Here's why diets fail
to help you lose weight and what you can do to get those pounds off for good.
1. Going on a diet implies you will go off it some day, right? You get this strict meal
plan that outlines what you can eat, what you can't eat, and what times and how much.
You resolve to stick to it strictly to get off a number of pounds for some special event
coming up. And then, you can't wait to go off the diet! How is this going to help you keep
the weight off? You're going to be looking for another diet a few months later when the
weight comes back on. Meanwhile, eating something "not allowed" leads you to see
yourself as being "off the diet". So you go and eat whatever you want until it's Monday, or
some other appointed time to go back on the diet. See a pattern here?
2. Associating your self-worth with your diet compliance: I hear people talk about
missteps on their diet, beating themselves up! "I really blew it this weekend" they say, or
"I was so bad last night" or "I totally cheated when we went out". They are not pointing
out that one choice was not good, or if they could do it over they would make a different
decision. No, they are saying "I was a bad person" or "I failed at what I was trying to do".
This just makes you feel worse and often people who are overweight turn to food to
comfort themselves when they feel bad about themself. Not exactly helpful when trying to
lose weight!
3. Feelings of Deprivation: How much do you want ice cream when you're on a diet that
does not allow any? Pretty much, right?! As you plod along on your strict weight loss
regimen, most of your focus is on foods you can't have: no cookies, no chocolate, no
potato chips. On some diets it's even worse--maybe no pasta or other carbs or maybe
it's no more than a few hundred calories per meal, leaving you hungry most of your
waking hours. How long can a person be expected to stay on an eating plan that keeps
them craving foods they are used to eating and that they love to eat? Not very long. So
it's off the diet again and back to your old habits--habits that put the weight on in the
first place.
4. Rewards of food: People who are overweight sometimes have the habit of using food
for comfort, or a reward system, or a celebration. Heck, food is good for any emotion,
isn't it?! Let's say you are going along, following a diet really well for a week and losing
weight. Time to reward yourself and break out the cookies! Ooops, that doesn't help the
weight loss plan. What if you "cheated" and "blew" your diet and ate what you weren't
supposed to so you feel bad about it? I suppose eating some ice cream will make you feel
better. Using food to soothe or celebrate may be what put some of the weight on in the
first place, and until this changes, a long term weight loss will not be successful.
5. You can't live on a diet forever: The fact is, you can lose weight on a diet. For as
long as you take in fewer calories than you burn, the weight will come off. But you can't
stay on most diets for long. Eliminating food groups, counting daily calories, or eating
pre-packaged meals isn't realistic to do on a daily basis in the long term. What works is
establishing new habits, learning to eat lower calorie choices every time you eat, and
working a healthy lifestyle into your every day life.
Dieting may get the weight off while you can adhere to a strict plan, but once you go off
the diet the weight will return. Stop dieting and start living! Get into a healthy routine as a
way of life, lose weight, and keep it off for good. Consider having your own personal diet
coach to partner with you and give you the extra support you need to get started. See
coaching packages for more information or just give me a call at 618-622-1963 and we'll
talk about what coaching can do for you today!
weigh just as much now as you ever did. Do you get it? This means diets don't work. So
stop going on diets and looking for the magic one that works for you. Here's why diets fail
to help you lose weight and what you can do to get those pounds off for good.
1. Going on a diet implies you will go off it some day, right? You get this strict meal
plan that outlines what you can eat, what you can't eat, and what times and how much.
You resolve to stick to it strictly to get off a number of pounds for some special event
coming up. And then, you can't wait to go off the diet! How is this going to help you keep
the weight off? You're going to be looking for another diet a few months later when the
weight comes back on. Meanwhile, eating something "not allowed" leads you to see
yourself as being "off the diet". So you go and eat whatever you want until it's Monday, or
some other appointed time to go back on the diet. See a pattern here?
2. Associating your self-worth with your diet compliance: I hear people talk about
missteps on their diet, beating themselves up! "I really blew it this weekend" they say, or
"I was so bad last night" or "I totally cheated when we went out". They are not pointing
out that one choice was not good, or if they could do it over they would make a different
decision. No, they are saying "I was a bad person" or "I failed at what I was trying to do".
This just makes you feel worse and often people who are overweight turn to food to
comfort themselves when they feel bad about themself. Not exactly helpful when trying to
lose weight!
3. Feelings of Deprivation: How much do you want ice cream when you're on a diet that
does not allow any? Pretty much, right?! As you plod along on your strict weight loss
regimen, most of your focus is on foods you can't have: no cookies, no chocolate, no
potato chips. On some diets it's even worse--maybe no pasta or other carbs or maybe
it's no more than a few hundred calories per meal, leaving you hungry most of your
waking hours. How long can a person be expected to stay on an eating plan that keeps
them craving foods they are used to eating and that they love to eat? Not very long. So
it's off the diet again and back to your old habits--habits that put the weight on in the
first place.
4. Rewards of food: People who are overweight sometimes have the habit of using food
for comfort, or a reward system, or a celebration. Heck, food is good for any emotion,
isn't it?! Let's say you are going along, following a diet really well for a week and losing
weight. Time to reward yourself and break out the cookies! Ooops, that doesn't help the
weight loss plan. What if you "cheated" and "blew" your diet and ate what you weren't
supposed to so you feel bad about it? I suppose eating some ice cream will make you feel
better. Using food to soothe or celebrate may be what put some of the weight on in the
first place, and until this changes, a long term weight loss will not be successful.
5. You can't live on a diet forever: The fact is, you can lose weight on a diet. For as
long as you take in fewer calories than you burn, the weight will come off. But you can't
stay on most diets for long. Eliminating food groups, counting daily calories, or eating
pre-packaged meals isn't realistic to do on a daily basis in the long term. What works is
establishing new habits, learning to eat lower calorie choices every time you eat, and
working a healthy lifestyle into your every day life.
Dieting may get the weight off while you can adhere to a strict plan, but once you go off
the diet the weight will return. Stop dieting and start living! Get into a healthy routine as a
way of life, lose weight, and keep it off for good. Consider having your own personal diet
coach to partner with you and give you the extra support you need to get started. See
coaching packages for more information or just give me a call at 618-622-1963 and we'll
talk about what coaching can do for you today!
Stop Dieting And Start Losing Weight
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