REPEAT AFTER ME: If it sounds too good to be true than it is...
The whole scheme behind these fad diets is to make you think whatever is in them or whatever you are not consuming (carbs, fat, gluten etc.) is the cause of the weight loss. Ah Ha! The solution to everyone's weight issue! I am sure you can guess that is sarcasm. It is not the shots you’re giving yourself, the pills you are taking, the types of food you are not consuming or the whatever you are drinking from the depths of the rainforest that produces weight loss. It is plain and simple...most of these diets put you into a calorie deficit sending your body into starvation mode. You initially lose weight, but your body is not meant to stay in starvation mode for long. You body's metabolism begins to slow and many find themselves at a plateau requiring them to eat even less and so...the cycle continues. Of course these diets work, you do lose weight. The problem is that they are so unrealistic you can not sustain the diet for a long period of time. It is temporary and fleeting. You will eventually break the diet, not to mention most people who lose weight on a diet end up gaining the weight they lost back plus more.
Research has shown that yo-yo dieting and weight gain/loss cycles are more detrimental to your overall health than just gradual steady weight gain over the lifespan. The constant weight gain and/or loss puts tremendous amounts of stress on the body.
Dieting/losing weight is not lack of will power. Will power is a marketing ploy. Diets put you into a biological and psychological deprivation cycle. The body and/or your mind will go into auto pilot causing you to break the diet, which results in you feeling guilt/shame/defeat.
Healthy weight loss is all about balance, moderation, and variety. Not deprivation.
Instead of attempting the next diet begin with these 3 simple steps...
1. Eat balanced - carbohydrates, dietary fat, and protein at all meals and snacks
2. Eat every 2-3 hours, never allowing yourself to get overly hungry
3. Food Journal - write down the time you eat and what you eat, not to judge your choices but to notice patterns
This will allow you to begin to analyze what steps you need to take next. If you are interested in Nutritional Counseling please see my contact page and shoot me a message.
New Group Starting! Virtual College Athlete Support Group: Dallas Nutritional Counseling is currently accepting interest forms for our College Athlete Nutrition Support Group. The group will start at the beginning of the Spring semester and run for 8 weeks January through March.