Eek! The Diet Books Are Coming!
Hundreds, maybe thousands, of new diet books hit the shelves this time of year, capitalizing on people’s holiday weight gain and New Year’s resolutions.
I have a secret that really is not such a secret:
Diets don’t work.
Oh, they may work in the short term. In fact, nearly any diet will. But, 83% of dieters ultimately gain more than they lose.
Why? Because diets are not sustainable.
A diet gives a prescription of what one can and cannot eat. Vegetables are good. Cake is bad. And herein lies the problem.
We always want what we think we cannot have! And when we begin eating the forbidden fruit (hello Paleo), forbidden meat (hello macrobiotic), forbidden winter stew (hello raw food), or forbidden cake (hello every single diet), we are bad. We have failed. And once we fail we might as well eat more. Why? Because we are failures.
It does not have to be that way. It is entirely possible to lose weight without “going on a diet” and learn how to eat specifically for you AND feel great along the way.
Through my own struggles with yo-yo dieting, and now having worked with hundreds of people to nourish their bodies and their lives, therein lies one truth:
Everything is connected.
Our weight, our nourishment, our eating habits, our self-care, our joy, our relationships … everything is connected.
Weight loss and eating well is not all about the cookies. Rather, it is what drives the choice to eat the cookies!
4 Things Every Dieter Needs To Know
1. Diets Are Not The Answer — Every person who goes “on a diet” comes off a diet. Of those who succeed at losing weight, 83% gain back what they lost plus more! The solution is a multi-faceted approach that includes rebuilding sound nutrition, and also attends to the other areas of life that may be contributing to unhealthy eating.
2. Sound Nutritional Eating Is Highly Personal — In other words, there is no one way! Be wary of programs that provide lists of do’s and don’t’s — these are doomed. Really? You’re going to give up cookies for the rest of your life? Be clear about what’s important to you and your health.
3. Stay Away From Any Program That Includes Packaged Foods As Healthy Foods On Their Plan — most processed foods remove the most nutritious parts of the food, for instance cancer-fighting fiber, and replace it with sugar and/or salt to make it taste better. Look at programs that stress real food!
4. Give Up The “Quick Fix” for the Whole Life! — Are you being lured by the promise of a two-week “fat-melting” quick fix scheme? Look for a program that will give you the tools and strategies to eat well, and keep you eating well, for the rest of your life. You deserve health and happiness!
Melissa I love your message that everything is connected and making healthy choices for our mind, bodies and spirits is what will empower lasting change. I aspire to embody nurturing habits as a reflection of my love for myself and know I can realign with each choice! Thank you so much!
I’m grateful that our culture is evolving and more people are becoming aware of these connections. Yes, weight is an ongoing issue for lots of us — but sometimes the first step is dealing with stress, or sleep or chronic pain. Wonderful post, my friend.
I really appreciate your message that there is no one way — so true! When people comment about my being on a gluten/soy-free diet, I always respond with, “It’s not a diet, but a way of life that leaves me feeling healthy and happy!”
Great post, Melissa!
Love this advice! I agree it’s a “whole”-sic approach to being healthy! Fad diets don’t work. We need to change our state of being so we live a healthy life. I am forced to eat gluten-free…it’s not the current fad for me. We have to find what works for us FOR LIFE. Thanks for reinforcing this. xo