In this segment I was asked to talk about fad diets and why they don’t work.
>>>Click here to watch the replay<<<
I love working with Holly Alexandruk because she gets it! She gets how important health and nutrition are to lifelong health, and I really enjoy these doing health segments on Global TV Winnipeg with her!
Lets talk about fad diets and why they don’t work. The funny thing is that most fad diets do work, well, at least in the short-term. If you over exercise and cut back/restrict the food you eat, you will likely lose some weight …but not for long. In fact, you can actually end up gaining weight.
All Diets work in the short-term
While you restrict and over exercise your body isn’t going to be too happy with you. Also, unless you are able to keep up the exercise-a-thon, and “eating like a bird” at meals, when you go back to eating and exercising reasonably, your body will likely put the weight back on that you lost. *Total bummer!
Adopting healthier sustainable lifestyle changes is key to long-term weight maintenance
The key really is to adopt realistic life-long healthy behaviours (like watching your liquid calorie intake, eating out less/eating in more, and eating a lot of vegetables (at least 2 cups and lunch & 2 cups at supper, which really isn’t a lot to consume, but if you aren’t used to it, it will feel that way).
Finally, look at your relationship with food!
At my nutrition clinic we run a program called Craving Change (TM), which helps people improve their relationship with food.
If you were list all the reasons why you eat food, I am sure you would mention things like:
Eating for:
- Celebration
- Stress
- Bored
- Happy
- Lonely
- Tastes good
This is a small list, but for the most part you get the idea. Most people forget to mention that we eat for fuel …or to stay healthy, or because we are hungry!
3 Types Of Hunger
The program talks about 3 types of hunger which are:
- Mouth – Crave the pleasure of food
- Heart – Eating in response to your emotions
- Stomach – Physical need for food
If we then take a look at our list of why we eat, we can decide which type of hunger relates to why we eat:
- Celebration –>Heart/mouth
- Stress –>Heart
- Bored –>Heart
- Happy –>Heart
- Lonely –>Heart
- Tastes good –>Mouth
Notice that most of the reasons why we are are emotional responses!
Looking at the “why” we eat the way we do, verses the “what” and “how much” is important in addressing underlying issues to food cravings and why making changes is so hard.
The Craving Change (TM) program addresses the “why” we eat, and provides strategies for clients to work through to improve their relationship with food.
Ultimately, improving your relationship with food it the foundation to lifelong weight management. If you think you have poor relationship with food and would like to join our upcoming online program, pls. sign up below. We also offer this program one-on-one in person at our Winnipeg clinic’s or via Skype.
The next time you want to go on a diet, take a look at the “why” you eat the way you do, and work on the under laying reasons before you work on the “what” to eat and “how much”
Take care!
~Susan Watson, RD
