You Diet, But the Weight Keeps Coming Back. Why?

Diets are not sustainable. It is nearly undisputed and uncontroversial that diets COULD show short term success, but NO DIET can show long-term statistics that support sustainability for the vast majority of any population. This is consistent across the board for any properly educated professional, even those who support any one of the diets.

If someone on a regimented diet begins gaining weight, it is assumed that motivation began to decline, laziness took over, and old habits came to light. I am here to tell you that this is simply not the case. In the most basic way possible, I want to start by explaining certain physiological things that happen when you have RAPID WEIGHT LOSS, and why they are important. These are only 2 of the 100 reasons diets are not the answer:

1. Increased insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that opens doors to your cells, allowing glucose in so you can use it as energy. However, during rapid weight loss, bodies become resistant to insulin. What now? The glucose in your bloodstream has no doorway to enter your cells…therefore, high blood sugar! That glucose will then be converted into fat and stored in your body.
2. Decline in resting metabolic rate. The vast majority of diets require decreasing your daily calorie intake. Why could this have a NEGATIVE impact on weight loss? Your body will also decrease its energy usage. In turn, weight and fat loss will plateau and start to decline when your body can no longer use energy at the same decreasing rate as your caloric intake.

Well, how do I lose weight if diets don’t work? This question COULD become incredibly complex if you look into the physiological differences between each of us. However, you need to start somewhere…and I believe the base of all sustainable plans is to eat SINGLE INGREDIENT FOODS such as fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, whole grains, nuts, etc. Basically, if you read the back of a package and see “Ingredients: Beef”, you are in good hands; but if you read “Ingredients: Sodium benzoate, mono potassium – blah – blah – blah”, FORGET ABOUT IT!

The last recommendation I want to discuss, is the importance of finding single ingredient foods that taste good, are thoroughly enjoyable, and fit within your budget. Without having those components present in a long-term nutrition plan, the chance of success is NOT GOOD! This can make or break the sustainability of a nutrition regimen.

What now? Take baby steps. I like to explain it like this…

Would you get married before your first date?

Or would you get to know each other first?

If you are an “all-in” type of person that would star on a show like “Married at First Sight”, you may be able to skip steps 1-20. However, the vast majority of the population would prefer to date and meet the family first. My recommendation would be to “go on that first date”, and focus on single ingredient foods that you love.

Stay tuned for additional recommendations on your new and improved healthy life!