5 Reasons Why You Need to STOP DIETING
We’ve all been there before…the feeling of being desperate to lose weight. We restrict our calories, cut out all carbs…and guess what…we lose weight!
Whatever the reason, at some point in time we’ve all hit that point where we’ll do absolutely anything to hit that ‘goal’ weight.
Now think back…after your vacation, wedding, or the weekend, what happened?
Did you lose weight permanently? Was the diet sustainable? Did you feel satisfied and fulfilled?
We’re going out on a limb here and assume the answer was NO – and for good reason.
These days, health professionals…and most of the general public…agree: Diets don’t work!
Our bodies begin to rebel. Fad diets offering a ‘quick fix’, with rapid weight loss, often lead to a vicious cycle in which we a) restrict, b) binge, and then c) feel guilty about it.
Weight Loss Through Dieting Is Temporary
Fad Diets are simply not sustainable. The majority of people who lose weight dieting end up regaining all the weight back – it’s not just you.
As many as 60% of dieters gain back more weight than they originally lost.
So read on to learn why diets don’t work — for you, or for anyone — and what you can do instead, to break the diet cycle and to start eating a balanced diet.
5 reasons we should stop dieting and start eating a balanced diet:
1 DIETING CAUSES YOUR METABOLISM TO SLOW DOWN
Our bodies need food and nutrients to function! When we start depriving ourselves, our metabolism slows down, and our bodies go into starvation mode. We begin to preserve energy and hold on to every last bite of food we consume.
This means any calories you eat, your body holds on to. Making it not only harder to lose weight, but much easier to gain it back. And, when it’s gained back, your body will store the calories primarily as fat.
2 DIETS ARE OFTEN MISSING IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL TO HEALTH
When you miss out on important nutrients for too long, you’ll begin to lose optimal functions.
Even with popular diets programs…ones you may think are safe…you’ll likely find yourself less than healthy. When we lack carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, we compromise digestion, detoxification, immune health, and much more.
3 DIETS THROW OFF OUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS AND HORMONES
Our bodies are complex, delicate, miniature ecosystems. Fad diets throw our blood sugar levels out of whack, and the disruptions to some of our hormone levels, may create a ripple effect, and cause disruptions in other hormones.
For example, eating a low-calorie diet, can increase the levels of cortisol in our bodies. Cortisol is the hormone related to stress. A change in cortisol levels might actually lead us to eat more by setting up a reward system in our brains.
Also, diets can throw off blood sugar levels. Some fad diets throw our blood sugar way out of whack. This leads to fatigue, hunger, strong cravings, weight gain and inflammation.
4 DIETING MESSES WITH YOUR HUNGER AND SATISFACTION CUES
Similarly, weight loss through dieting causes the hormones that are responsible for helping you feel full to drop. At the same time, it causes the hormones that make you feel hungry to increase – a double whammy!!
This is your body’s way of ensuring its survival. It doesn’t know when food is scarce because you’re restricting it on purpose. When you restrict calories, your body thinks it’s facing a famine. Your body thinks it’s helping you by gaining weight…so the next time you’re faced with a famine, you’ll have enough fat stored to get you through it.
5 DIETING DAMAGES YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD
Fad diets lead to deprivation and starvation. When we’re on a diet, we struggle to approach food in a natural, intuitive way.
When you diet, you don’t learn how to truly nourish yourself, and you can become fearful of food; allowing food to control you. You end up in a constant push-pull scenario. Stuck between wanting to lose weight, and learning how to feed yourself…to support optimal health.
This can lead to emotional eating; as well as many more problems down the road.
So you see…fad diets simply don’t work!! They’re demotivating, not sustainable over a long period of time, and often steer you farther away from you goals.
You can improve your levels of both weight loss and health without dieting. Click here to read: 11 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight.
Still feel like you need more direction? Book a FREE 15-minute consultation with one of our Nutritionists today!