Why Dieting SHOULDN'T Be Your NY Resolution

December 16, 2015 Stephanie

Ahh yes, the infamous New Years Resolution to lose weight, become healthier and fit into those skinny jeans once and for all! It just seems so funny to me that we go from the joy and happiness of the Holiday’s right into a frenzy of intense fitness, restrictive diets and all or nothing mentality which ultimately ends up in a downward spiral to feeling like a failure, grosser than ever in our own bodies and let down by our “lack of willpower”. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like an awful way to start a new year!! Anything that results in body shaming and hateful self-talk shouldn’t be something we strive for. So guess what I’m here to say?? It doesn’t have to be like that – it SHOULDN’T be like that and I’m going to give you some really good reasons why I think you should never allow it to be like that again. It’s not my first jab at expressing why I think diets suck, but it is my first jab at convincing you to come up with a better New Year Resolution than a diet or workout plan. I know that goes against conventional wisdom and the diet & fitness industry’s 2016 Sales Forecast Plan….but hear me out!

The thing is, no one makes those resolutions with the intent of it ending in guilt, shame and a food coma….it just sorta happens. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to eat healthier or be more active – the intent behind those resolutions is actually positive. It’s actually an attempt to better oneself and to feel better about oneself and what’s so wrong with that? Nothing! The problem is actually with the actual diet approach to those goals. Here are 5 (more) reasons why diets do more harm than help and why you should re-consider that January 1 diet start….

1. They Mess With Your Metabolism. Every time you go on a diet and drastically lower your calorie count and/or the types of foods you are eating, you are altering with the way your body responds to food. Restrictive calorie allotments alter your glucose and insulin levels (which direct your metabolism) and ultimately inhibits its ability to work correctly. What happens when your metabolism isn’t working correctly? You probably guessed it…you either reach a “plateau”, gain weight and/or both. Neither of which move you any closer to your goal or make you feel any better about yourself.

2. They Make You Crazy. Ever been around a chronic dieter at a food-centered event (or in my case, been one)? It’s not a pretty picture. When you’re operating under such rigid and strict food rules and in a steady state of being hungry – you’re going to obsess about food. It’s going to rule your thoughts and aim to control your behavior. On top of the craziness you’ll endure in your head (“oh my gosh, I ate too much, I ruined the whole day”, OOH is that cake? I LOVE cake!”, “If I just eat one, I just won’t eat a carb with dinner and it will be fine”, “I ate too many cookies, I’ll just eat 500 less calories tomorrow to make up for it”) you’ll also be “that person” who has to miss out on a dinner with friends because it doesn’t fit into your diet or the one who won’t stop talking about food in every single conversation. That person is not fun to be around and even less amusing to BE. Showing up every day “half-in” because your other half is pre-occupied with food thoughts and diet rules. Not fun.

3. They Almost Always Lead To A Binge. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…diet = restriction = deprivation = binge = guilt = diet. Choosing what to eat from a place of strict rules and without taking into consideration what your body is actually craving is a recipe for disaster. It’s a recipe that leads to a state we all like to refer to as #Hangry. And what do you do when you’re #Hangry? You slip into “EAT ALL THE FOOD….RIGHT NOW” mentality. And what happens when you give in to that mentality and the binge is through? You feel horrible. Disgusting. Stuffed. Sad. Upset. Defeated. Guilty. Annoyed. Shall I continue, or do we get the drift? 🙂 This horrible cycle can be avoided by not taking such a black and white (diet) approach to food.

You’re body is such a smart and intricate thing. It knows what fuel it needs and it knows how much, we just have to re-learn how to listen to IT’S needs and how to respond in a way that feels good to it. No diet can teach you that. It takes time, intentionality and so much patience but it is so worth it. The thing with diets is that they transfer all of the power out of your hands and onto specific foods. I can say from experience that re-gaining that power is one of the most freeing feelings I’ve ever felt! Realizing and then believing that I can eat all things that sound good to me and that there are no “off limits” foods was a game changer. I am so passionate about this because I want everyone to have this freedom. I want everyone to feel in control around food and to trust that they can listen to their bodies.

The irony of it all is that the sense of power and confidence that comes from this (learning to trust your body with food) is the exact thing you need to truly do what you were ultimately trying to do with your New Years Resolution in the first place…to better oneself and to feel better about oneself. So why not make THAT your New Years Resolution this year?…Learn how to truly listen to your body and provide it’s fuel needs in a happy and balanced way. 🙂

So there you have it. 3 reasons why I think you should re-consider your “diet” New Years Resolution plans. What do you think? POST BELOW any thoughts you have on diets and a different New Years Resolution you can make this year!

If you feel like this is an area you need help in, I’d love to have a conversation with you! And now is the perfect time since I’ve opened up a few 3-month one-on-one Health Coaching spots! Thanks for reading guys!