Diets, in fact, do work. Just not as people hope for.
Diets rely on the concept of deprivation. Deprivation goes against human nature. We weren't designed to feel deprived. We were designed to be fed and well nourished.
In the past several years I've paid especially close attention to the concept of dieting. I've observed women go on a diet and lose weight successfully. The problem is the results only last so long. The reason: diets aren't sustainable. You can't live your life feeling deprived. What happens to these women is they work hard, they do all this 'dieting', they lose weight and then eventually they gain it all back. Oftentimes, they end up gaining back more than they had to lose in the first place.
Diets also require food labeling. Some foods are good, other foods are bad. This may sound like a smart idea but unfortunately doing this hurts our relationship with food and leads to food shaming and guilt which can result in a trap of rewards and punishment.
Counting calories, assigning points to foods, counting macros, etc. can prove to be exhausting, relentless and more than you are willing to handle. Who wants to go through life counting every single calorie they eat?
If you asked me how many calories I consume in a day, I would honestly have no way to answer that question. I have no idea how many calories I consume and I'm positive it varies quite a bit from day to day depending on how much I have exercised and how much sleep I got, among other factors.
I share this with you not to discourage you but to encourage you! The good news is dieting in the traditional sense does not have to be a part of your life. You can have control over your body, over your weight, over the way you look and feel, all without performing another diet. I'd be honored to show you how.
This blog is the first in a 3-part series. Keep an eye out for the next installment!