It is that time of year: When New Year’s resolutions have been set. Many headlines promote the “newest” diet trends to “jump start” weight loss in 2017.
If you make this resolution year after year with little results & lots of frustration have you ever considered NOT dieting?
Want to get off the diet roller coaster? Make peace with food? Feel more in control of your eating? If you answered yes to any of these I encourage you to set a new type of resolution: NOT to diet in 2017 or really ever again.
Why you ask? I will give you five good reasons:
1. Dieting doesn’t work for long-term weight regulation. Scientists don’t have any good data that shows dieting works consistently in reducing weight, long-term.
2. Dieting can lead to weight gain. Dieting can produce short-term weight loss, but more often than not, it leads to the regaining of lost weight and sometimes even more. Some clinicians argue that the losing/gaining of weight, also known as weight cycling, is what causes health problems (vs. elevated body weight).
3. Dieting is a known risk factor for developing an eating disorder. The causes of eating disorders are very complex. Researchers have identified several risk factors for developing an eating disorder which includes dieting, temperament, gender, etc. Not to say that all people who diet will develop an eating disorder, but it can increase your risk.
4. Dieting can make us feel a little nutty. Diets often promise control over food & even our lives. Starting a new diet can feel exhilarating. But, ever notice when you are dieting you spend more time thinking about food? Or you begin to feel very out of control around food, maybe experience binge-like behavior? You even avoid certain social situations in order to stay on the diet. Studies show that dieting leads to more preoccupation with food & weight. Preoccupation with food & weight leads to feeling less and less in control.
Additionally, when we aren’t able to follow our diet (Not because of laziness or lack of willpower, see 1#.) it can lead to an increase in feelings of shame and failure. These feelings can often drive us further from self-care and in some people, it can lead to OVEREATING.
To learn more about the psychological effects of food restriction click here.
5. Dieting doesn’t equal improved health. See #1, #2, #3, #4. Many embark on a diet in the name of improving health. In fact, dieting does little to improve health. Dieting teaches us to pay close attention to food and exercise, but once off the diet health promoting behaviors go out the window–the exercise stops and the overeating begins.
In fact, there is compelling scientific evidence that eating nutritious foods and regularly exercising, in the absence of weight loss, can significantly improve health.
You may be thinking, “If I don’t diet I will be out of control with food and all I will ever do is eat!”. It has been my clinical experience that dieting itself promotes overeating. Once the dieting stops and unconditional permission to eat is given people start to feel more control with food.
Also, check out these other resources to learn how to ditch dieting & make peace with food: Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size.