The Problem with Dieting: It’s Not You, It’s Them
One of the biggest problems with dieting is that it sets you up for failure from its onset.
The word “diet” plays on the mind, and almost always makes you think about everything you’re going to have to give up.
As many diets suggest, food is just fuel for the body, but the truth is there’s much more to it than that. Food affects every aspect of our lives, from social to the emotional. Just the thought of having to give up so much begins an internal struggle.
To further complicate things, many of the diets out there are high-maintenance, meaning that they take a lot of time, effort, and money to stay on track.
And when it’s all said and done, these diets leave no instructions on how to maintain the leaner physique.
According to a study conducted by Traci Mann, an associate professor at UCLA, “the majority of people regain all the weight, plus more” after the diet has ended.
Dieting isn’t a new phenomenon, and we aren’t the first or the last to try and fail.
But there’s some good news for people who want to get lean without dieting.
What Should You Do?
Instead of restricting yourself, a better and probably easier goal to set is to mentally prepare yourself to make better choices every time you eat.
It requires you to fix how you think about food, thereby making it easier to make healthier choices. This ability to change your thinking is the difference between a lifestyle choice and a habit.
Fat loss is a multifaceted process which involves biological, behavioral, and environmental factors, so by addressing at least one of these issues, you’ll be on your way to a leaner and happier you.
Below are 5 ways to help you get things started.
1. Change Your Surroundings (environmental)
Ever heard of the saying “you’re a product of your environment”?
Well, the person who said it might not have been talking about food, but the quote can be applied to it. Chances are that if you’re finding it difficult to control what you eat, it’s probably because of your surroundings.
When trying to nurture healthy eating habits, it’s extremely easy to fall back into old habits. Even those with the strongest willpower have stumbled back, but it’s not because they wanted to.
You may not realize it, but your surroundings influence many of the decisions you make.
The places where you eat, how you eat, the people you eat with, the culture you live in, and even your commute to work all have a significant impact on the decisions you make.
The best way to deal with it is to change your surroundings.
Avoid going to the places that make high-calorie meals, limit your interactions with the people who tell you that “you deserve to treat yourself,” and throw out the trigger foods hiding in your pantry.
2. Create an Incentive (behavioral)
People have different reasons for wanting to get fit, but staying motivated is one of the biggest problems they face.
You can continue to tell yourself to “keep going” and “you can do this,” but for some people, this isn’t enough.
Many fitness experts recommend creating different forms of extrinsic motivation to help keep you on track. It could be anything from a vacation to a social event, to a shopping trip or even a cash tip.
If getting lean wasn’t already rewarding, then creating the incentive will surely rekindle the fire you had when you began this journey.
Not only will this new reward help you to stay focused on the task at hand, but it’ll also remind you why you started.
So, what are you going to make your incentive?
Choosing things like health or being better-looking, which are good goals to have, are too vague and may not be strong enough motivators to keep you from buying your favorite ice cream. Choose an incentive that’s strong enough to make you completely ignore the ice cream aisle.
3. Don’t Overdo It (behavioral)
The people who say “have some more” or “have you tried the…” aren’t intentionally trying to sabotage you, but they’re one of the factors hindering your progress, especially if you listen to them.
You don’t have to eat like a saint to see results, but if you continuously indulge in these little pleasures rather than focusing on your long-term goal, you’ll find yourself at a standstill or even set back a few steps.
4. Kick Hunger Off Its Pedestal (biological)
Most people believe that hunger equates to progress when trying to burn fat, so they often create situations where hunger plays the starring role.
Not eating for long periods and completely skipping meals are just a few ways they do this.
When they finally eat, they often overcompensate and eat more calories than they would have if they’d eaten the skipped meal. Having just eaten a filling meal, the likelihood of skipping the next meal is very high, creating a vicious cycle.
With that being said, it doesn’t apply to everyone. There are people who can skip meals and maintain their leanness, but it only works for a select few.
You can lose fat, but you don’t have to go hungry to do it.
Dr. Jade Teta, an integrative physician and the founder of Metabolic Effect, recommends eating foods that’ll keep hunger, energy, and cravings in check.
5. Imagine the Consequences (behavioral)
We’ve all lied to ourselves at some point.
Saying that “it’s only this one time” in an effort to lessen the guilt we feel when we make bad choices is something that many people do. If you say this every time you eat too much, eat at the wrong time, or eat the wrong food, it won’t take long before you see and feel the consequences.
Instead of “it’s only this one time,” try telling yourself, “if I do this, then this is what is going to happen.” By training yourself to use the “if-then” saying before deciding to do something, you might find yourself making better decisions.
How to Maintain Leanness as a Lifestyle
There’s no doubt that dieting can help you get to your goal, but if you’re searching for a way to maintain your leanness, then you’re better off making lifestyle choices than choosing what diet to try next.
These choices will benefit you in the long run.
Sources:
- Kevin Klatt. Why Weight Loss Diets Fail. Jun 2018. Internet: https://www.self.com/story/why-diets-fail
- Steven Wolpert. Dieting does not work. UCLA researchers report. Apr 2007. Internet: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Dieting-Does-Not-Work-UCLA-Researchers-7832
