11/28/2022
Did a diet really work if you…
❎Gained the weight back
❎Felt like garbage the entire time
❎Couldn’t eat your fav foods
❎You couldn’t keep up with it long term
Like most things in life, they require nuance, so your answer may vary. For some with a specific short term goal, yes, maybe the diet did work. But for most looking to live a longer, healthier life, the answer is most likely no.
I hate to break it to you but in most cases Fad. Diets. Dont. Work… long term.
Anything that requires you to cut out entire food groups, restrict extreme amounts of calories, or leave you feeling deprived and more likely to overeat as soon as you’re off the diet, aren’t going to be sustainable or healthy approaches to your weight loss goals.
A common theme in why these fad diets “work” for weight loss is because they create a calorie deficit. This means you’re consuming less calories than your body expends in a day, which can lead to weight loss. A calorie deficit is usually created on these diets because many processed and higher calorie food items are cut out or restricted, so it makes sense that it would “work” in the short term for weight loss.
But what starts to happen over time is our energy, hormones, hunger, and motivation are all impacted and the diet becomes unsustainable and people often go right back to what they were doing before the diet, and therefore gain the weight back.
So what can we do instead?
Find a way of eating that works for YOU, and when I say “works” I mean something that you can do long term, includes your favourite foods, and allows you to accomplish your goals.
I know that’s not the big “sexy” answer anyone wants to hear, but it’s what works, and allows you to have way more fun along the way.
A sustainable approach to your weight loss goals will still have ebbs and flows to allow for weight loss phases AND diet breaks, but IMO should still allow space for your fav foods, social events, and give you the energy to do the things you love.
It won’t be a quick fix, and it doesn’t mean it won’t be challenging at times, but it will yield higher results overtime and a hell of a lot more enjoyment ;)
What are your thoughts? Comment below!
