You can’t turn on the television, pick up a paper or magazine, or even open your own email without being flooded by ads for someone’s diet product that is just perfect for you! So let me be clear, there are many diets, diet pills, diet programs and surgical options on the market that will help you lose weight. Most of them “work” to one extent or another, unless your goal is to keep the weight off permanently.
Oh, is permanent weight loss your goal? Well, most of these products will aid you in successfully shedding pounds. But the problems start when you deviate from your program of choice for any length of time; those pounds you lost will suddenly find you again, and they usually bring along a few extra friends. Bottom line: There is no program that results in permanent weight loss.
Well, at least you keep trying, and that’s a good thing, right? Actually the science says no. Multiple studies indicate that yo-yo dieting (losing then regaining) is more harmful to your health than maintaining a stable weight, even if it is higher.
The ability to make us feel that this dieting failure is our fault is one of the best marketing ploys ever developed, as it keeps us desperately coming back for more; searching for the latest, greatest, easiest way to shed those gross pounds. That’s how they maintain a multibillion dollar diet industry.
One big problem is that when we diet, we are fighting against our own biology. The body doesn’t know the difference between starving and dieting; all it knows is that there’s a shortage of food, it isn’t getting what it needs and it has to do something about that. So when there is a prolonged period of calorie restriction, your body works against your dieting efforts by slowing your metabolism and doing all that it can to keep you from starving to death.
If you are a person with extra body fat, losing weight will not give you the metabolism of a naturally thin person. You will never be able to eat like naturally thin people who eat whatever they want whenever they want. You will be required to eat less and exercise more simply to maintain your weight loss – the entire time being driven by hunger; that gnawing feeling of never having enough, never being satisfied.
So what should you do? Stop believing the marketing. Stop believing the hype and the lies. We are not all meant to be the same. We come in all sizes: short, tall, thin, fat and everything in between. Learn to accept and celebrate our differences.
Stop buying into the lies that you are not fine just the way you are. Don’t believe them when they tell you they are only concerned about your health. It’s not your health; it’s your money that concerns them.
Take the time to consider what you are hungry for and enjoy the best-possible food you can. Find an activity that you like, whether it’s walking, swimming, dancing or working out, and include that in your life on a regular basis. Focus on the things that matter: family, friends and helping others. The rest will take care of itself!