The False Security of Dieting
Let’s talk about the false security of dieting. This might make you stop for a second and think I’m crazy -- who feels safe dieting? Hear me out though...
Potential clients coming to me looking to lose weight often ask the same question -- “so what’s the ‘program’ that you’ll put me on?” There’s nothing wrong with this question, of course, because diet culture has trained us for YEARS that you need to go on a specific “diet” or “wellness program” to lose weight. Don’t get me wrong, in order to lose weight, calories in vs. calories out does matter, BUT restrictive diets have proven time and time again that they DO.NOT.WORK. So why do we keep going back to them? If you’re thirsty and someone hands you a water bottle and says, “there’s a 90% chance that you’ll be thirstier after you drink this” would you drink it? I’m guessing probably not. Well, dieting is that bottle of water, but people continue to drink...why? Because dieting is comfortable and we’ve been conditioned to think that the reason a diet didn’t work is because WE failed, not the diet.
Often when I found myself “ready to try to lose weight” (again...and again), I was desperate. I wanted the weight OFF and I wanted it off quickly. My go-to diet was often low carb, low calorie -- 1000 to maybe 1200 calories (if I was being generous to myself that day) and under 40g net carbohydrates. In my head, the diet “worked” every time...it was ME that didn’t “work.” The compliments would start to roll in, my “willpower” was commended, I avoided social situations so I could stay on track with my diet, but I was starving and exhausted. Little did I know that there is a physiological response when you diet -- after a few months, your body is triggered into starvation mode, begins releasing hunger hormones, decreases the release of fullness hormones, and lowers your metabolic rate. So, when you “cave” and have that pizza, you aren’t weak and a failure. It’s literally your body trying to take care of you, not you failing to control your body.
Now, of course, there are some people who have done diets and successfully kept the weight off long-term. But it’s not common, and the statistics are unfortunately against you. I’ve heard clients say “I did weight watchers and it worked” or “I did Keto and it worked” and my next question is “ok, so you lost weight, but did you keep the weight off long term?” The answer (so far) has always been no.
Well, great, Lauren, you’re telling me diets don’t work, but I would like to lose weight so what am I supposed to do? My role as your health coach is to help figure out what works for YOU, the struggles that you face around food, control, exercise, body image, life, etc. In the beginning, this can feel uncomfortable, because, like I stated above, many want to be told what to do, what to eat, when to exercise, etc, because that’s what we know, what we’re comfortable with. Diets are designed as one-size-fits-all, but that’s not realistic. Every client has had different goals, and every client has had different ways of reaching those goals.
Together, we will discover a wellness lifestyle that works for you, one that makes you feel good in your body, and one that is sustainable and realistic. It might not feel as comfortable as going on that keto diet for the umpteenth time, but it’s how you will achieve long-term success.
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