Chronic Dieters "R" Us
Take a minute and think of a handful of diet’s that you’ve heard of.
I know. It's not that tough.
Now, think of all of the diets that you’ve been on.
I can account for a few myself: weight watchers, Nutrisystem, Jillian Michaels, IIFYM.
I'm admittedly a recovering chronic dieter. When I was really consumed with dieting, I was constantly falling off the wagon. But, when I hopped back on, I was all in. At least until the next weekend came around. Check out more of that story here.
What about you? Do you have a history of chronic dieting? Here are some points to consider.
You might be a chronic dieter if…
· You're hyper-vigilant about the type of food you put in your body (with no medical reasons).
· You see food as good or bad.
· Your food choice are based off of your quest to lose weight.
· You participate in the last supper… an epic binge before you restart/start your diet.
· You’ve seen your weight going up and down. Yes, like a yo-yo.
· It’s hard to remember the last time you weren’t on a diet. It’s like you’ve tried them all.
· You do whatever it takes to ignore your body’s signal that it's hungry. Or full.
· You can give me a macronutrient breakdown of most foods that you eat.
· You’re more focused on eating light than fueling your body with nutrients.
· Food and weight loss consume your thoughts.
· When you’re on the wagon, enjoying food isn’t your priority.
· You feel fat. All. The. Time.
· The number on the scale can kill your mood.
· When you break your diet you feel guilty and you beat yourself up.
· You’re find yourself wishing that you could have the same body as (*enter famous so and so here*).
Achieving the dream-bod that is promoted on TV and in magazines has increasingly become part of the American pursuit. Studies have shown that the media’s pressure to diet is a major influencer in the rising trend of disordered eating patterns.
Everywhere we look we are being pressured to lose some weight, get more toned, “go hard or go home”, go paleo, cut out carbs, try this patch, try this wrap… you know what I’m talking about.
Let me tell you a few things that we know about dieting
· UCLA researchers have found that dieting is a consistent predictor of weight gain.
· Research on children from 9-14 has concluded that dieting to control weight is not only ineffective, but it may actually promote weight gain.
· Dieters have twice the risk of becoming overweight compared to non-dieters.
· Approximately 90-95% of people who have dieted gain the weight back.
Ya, I know.
WTF.
The media doesn’t tell us this!
Like I've said before, it’s a set up. A $50 billion dollar per year industry is invested in convincing us to believe otherwise.
I know what you’re thinking… “how in the world does dieting make me fatter?”
Dr. John Foreyt equates the dieting mindset to a Chinese Finger Trap. The harder your try to get out of the trap, the harder you pull and push to figure it out, the harder it is to reach your goal… to get out of the puzzle.
Instead of freeing yourself, you find yourself locked in the trap. Helpless. Frustrated.
I want to help you push back. I want to help you stop falling off your dieting wagon.
How?
We’re going to throw out the wagon.
For the 7 days leading up to Thanksgiving, I’ll be providing quick tips and strategies for you to get curious and get mindful about the way you approach your relationship with food. My hope is that these strategies help you begin to do the work to make peace with food and love the body you're in.
Right now. Not 10 pounds from now.
Want in? I’ll be posting them on my Facebook page and Instagram account. Don't forget to "like" my page and "follow" my account so you can get in on the action.
I’m also excited to announce The Diet Survivor’s Support Group. Starting March 8th I’ll be facilitating a group designed for women to learn how to let go of the dieting mentality once and for all.
Seeing the beautiful badass that you are,
Sarah
Tribole, E & Resch, E. 2012. Intuitive Eating. A Revolutionary Program That Works. New York: St. Martin's Griffin.