Do Diets Really Work?

I came across a most interesting observation recently and now, I can't stop thinking about it. Here's the line that I read: "Nothing can add more pounds to a person than a diet can."

 

It's one of those lines that the more you think about it, the more profound it seems.

 

I never really stopped to consider the psychology of deprivation until I was actively trying to lose weight. When you're told that you can't have something, the reaction of most people is that they can't stop thinking about it. Think about a toddler who's told no and throws a full-out hour-long tantrum.

 

"Cutting calories" -- telling  yourself that you have to eat less -- often creates a situation of fear: When can I eat again? Who can stop thinking about food when they're worried about when the next time they'll get some will be?

 

For me, the psychological shift came when I began working with a dietitian who taught me that while calories absolutely count in the overall picture of weight loss, not all calories are created equal. Learning to tell myself that I could eat as much as I wanted of certain healthy foods -- like veggies -- helped put my mind in a place of surplus. Telling yourself that you can have as much as you want is about as far from the concept of "diet" as you can get.

 

Since I'm not a gal who likes to be told what to do, the "diet" mentality just doesn't work for me.

 

It's a subtle shift in perspective, but learning to say that you're "eating healthy" instead of "dieting" might be just the trick to tip the scales in your favor, so to speak.

 

I'll leave you with this thought from the ever-wise Melissa as Halloween approaches. If you eat 10 mini-candy bars on a random Tuesday, you know full well that your body is going to pay a price. When you're tempted to raid the Halloween candy bucket, she says, remember this: Your body is not going to cut you a break because you're wearing a big honking clown nose while you do it.

 

Wise words.

Comments

[Melissa Kirdzik, RD, LDN]

hahahaha, you're not going to let me live that comment down are you?
Love the posts Dara...