Yo-yo dieting can have real effects on your metabolism over time. And dieting in general can have significant effects on your body and psyche. Honestly, you’ve got to wonder why we keep doing this to ourselves.
Now, being significantly overweight – or significantly underweight for that matter – can be a clear signal there’s a sort of struggle within your body. But, contrary to popular belief, these fluctuations in weight might not be your fault.
You see, something started to go awry with our collective health in the mid-60s. And today, 70.7 percent of American adults are overweight. 70.7 percent of us! And of that 70.7 percent, almost 38 percent are obese. That’s way up from less than 20 percent two decades ago.1
Along with growing obesity, there have been rather large increases in incidences of –
- Breathing Issues
- Inflammatory problems
- Autoimmune concerns
- Heart health issues
- Cognitive concerns
- Fatigue
- Allergies
Now, you can blame the Western diet, pollution, or a sedentary lifestyle for America’s obesity epidemic – and I do. But there’s a bigger truth… and it starts with dieting.
So, why does it seem all diets are doomed to fail?
Well, the biggest reason these attempts at dieting are futile or fail to produce lasting change is …
Diets do very little or nothing to fight the battle within your body.
Do you think it would be fair to say we can be obsessive when it comes to weight-loss? Why can’t we convert that concern to lasting results? The answer … “Diets” are a myth!
That’s right. I typed it. Diets are a myth, and they’ve been distracting us from the real issues that plague our overarching health concerns …
Turns out, weight-loss diets are doomed to fail because they don’t address the secret sabotage of the foods and other products we come in contact with.
Recently, it’s come to light that several of the “winners” on The Biggest Loser reality show have regained most of their weight after their original “success.”2 This really should come as no surprise.
But, if you’re finally realizing that almost all weight-loss programs are essentially useless in the long run, then I commend you for seeing the harsh reality.
Now, there’s a plethora of reasons so many of us struggle with regulating our weight. Genetics play a huge part in monitoring a person’s weight. According to an interview with psychologist Traci Mann on NPR’s “The Salt,” most people have a genetically set range of potential weight. When folks attempt to live above or below that range, their bodies can potentially struggle in big ways to adapt.3
But, there are other reasons our bodies don’t adapt well to extreme changes in diet. Here are …
5 reasons diets just don’t work
- Extreme exercise makes you hungry. Seems logical, right? It’s actually that simple. If you work out too hard, you’ll likely eat too much afterwards, undoing your hard work.
- Self-discipline vs. nature. If you attempt to restrict your appetite, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll end up hungry. You can only stay underwater for so long, right? Eventually, you have to come up for air. Eventually, your body will crave significant calorie intake.
- Everyday synthetic organic and inorganic chemicals like pesticides, household cleaners, pollutants, and cosmetics can potentially be helping to make you fatter.4
- Diets are short-lived. Once the dieter has reached his or her specific goal, they usually feel comfortable enough and begin to regress to old habits. And often old habits are weight-gaining habits.
- Most diets are simply inconvenient. Our lives are fast and stressful these days. If you have to stop and measure your meal every time you want to eat, you’ll likely find it a hassle – and you’ll revert to a more convenient mode of feeding yourself.
So, how do we end the war within our bodies and normalize our weight?
Well, it helps to be honest about the weight your body “wants” to be. If you can recognize that we’re all different, and “skinny” may not be the goal, you could potentially help increase your longevity odds.
But dieting to slim down and then reverting to old past habits is never a real fix – also, it’s frustrating as all get out. And, I know. I’ve been there.
So, don’t lose hope. Because there is a way to change your habits – especially once you understand how specific foods and products can positively and negatively affect your system.
The Takeaway
Change your thinking. Stop worrying about a weight loss goal.. Instead, make sure you’re eating plenty of lectin-free, whole foods. In fact, when following The Plant Paradox structure (which is not meant to be a diet, it’s meant to be a lifelong way of life), stick to the approved foods. Click here to see a “YES” list of Plant Paradox-friendly foods.
Sources
1 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. 2012. Overweight and obesity statistics.
2 http://people.com/bodies/biggest-loser-creator-new-show-former-contestants-regained-weight/
3 http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/06/01/411217634/in-eating-lab-psychologist-spills-secrets-on-why-diets-fail
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12006126
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16002825
6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1402378/
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