Hello forks, how have you bean? I'm so eggcited for today's post. Today's post topic is around dieting. Why isn't dieting work? why is it unhealthy? if it is unhealthy, then what is healthy? and more.
If you are new to my blog make sure to check out other posts of mine as well, I cover pretty good topics. Fun fact, I also take recommendations from my readers so leave one in the comment section, I really ap-peach-iate it.
This multi-million dieting and weight loss industry is selling you the illusion that weight loss is possible, which isn't egg-xactly. Puns apart but it's true.
Let us start with the basics: Why do people diet?
Most people diet because they're told that they are overweight. Constant comments from family members are also a factor. Social media has its roots in this topic as well, social pressure of being productive and living a healthy life also includes dieting and keeping the body in a shape. How can numbers on a scale be an indicator of health?
The obsession with dieting is making people do extreme things to maintain a number on the scale.
Why is dieting not working?
If you are not eating then you shouldn't gain weight, right? Nope.
Women are often appreciated to work more, but our brain steals the game. Our brain, to be specific our unconscious mind works more. It's good to be breathing while reading this interesting post.
Similarly, our unconscious mind also controls hunger and energy use. Our brain has its own sense of what your weight should be depending upon our genes, lifestyles, environment, etc. Metabolism suppression is a tool that our brain uses to keep the body within a certain range called the set point.
Regardless of how many diets we go on, and how much we starve ourselves, we'll gain the weight back to the set point, because that's where our body likes to settle.
Surely you can make lifestyle choices to move your weight up or down within that range, but it's much harder to stay outside of it. The set point can go up but they rarely go down.
Biologically, the hypothalamus regulates body weight and responds to signals from the body by adjusting hunger, activity, and metabolism.
For instance, an AC is on in a room, once the room is cooled the AC increases its temperature and maintains the coolness in that room. If you open a window or a door for a few minutes the temperature in the room is disturbed and AC reduces its temperature to cool the room again. Or you can take an example of thermostats.
That's exactly how our body works, responding to weight loss by using powerful tools to push your body back to what it considers normal.
Psychologically, when you are on a diet and restrict yourself from eating something, your brain is constantly thinking about eating it, then you eat it and feel guilty about eating it and restrict yourself from even seeing it, then again your brain is thinking about it and on and on the vicious cycle keeps on rolling.
So, What should we do?
It's very hard to separate what someone should be consuming from how they feel about the food that they are consuming as psychology and nutrition go hand in hand.
The simple answer would be eating healthy, but what is healthy again?
Taking a step back to answer what should be done, the answer is being mindful of what you are eating. I'm not saying you to practice meditating while eating, I'm saying you to be conscious of what you are eating.
The elephant in the room which is always ignored (just like I get ignored) is not what you eat, it is when you eat.
Eat only when you are hungry not when you are bored or food was available or food was free. Imagine a number line 0-10, 0 indicating when you are extremely hungry and 10 indicating when you are extremely stuffed.
Eat when your hunger is between 3-4 and stop eating when you reach 6-7. This will give food to your body when it is asking for it and avoids binge eating and overeating. When we are extremely hungry we crave oily, fatty, and unhealthy things. No one craves to eat a bowl of veges when they're hungry.
Then, What is healthy?
The more we try eating healthy, the lesser healthier we are getting and the more confused. We all know what healthy is but along the way we lost sight of it.
If I give you a carrot and a slice of cake, which one do you think is healthier?
Carrot, you might say, but if we searched about carrot it contains high sugar. And if I say the slice of cake is vegan, low calorie, refined sugar, gluten-free, then?
Economic contribution:
The weight loss industry is growing rapidly as more and more people are being aware of being healthy. The industry is trapping people into wishful thinking by advertising the benefits of having a fit/healthy/slim body.
There are Youtube channels, blogs, and companies that claim that if we follow what they say we'll lose weight and become healthier. If that really worked we all should have been healthier and slim by now.
Back to psychology:
Psychologists classify eaters into two groups, those who rely on hunger and those who try to control their eating through willpower. Let's call them intuitive eaters and controlled eaters. Intuitive eaters allow themselves to enjoy food and research suggests that they are less likely to overeat, and get affected by advertisements. Whereas controlled eaters, they are stuck in the vicious cycle mentioned earlier.
Dieting also damages mental health. Dieters are always under pressure of maintaining their calorie count and suppressing their cravings, and some even avoid hanging out with friends and family as it may lead to eating.
What to do?
Here are 9 rules/principles/reminders to take into consideration:
1) Respect: respect your body. Don't hate what you were gifted just because a peasant told you it was not good.
2) Food is important: food is fuel. Don't starve yourself to achieve a number on a scale. It's not worth it.
3) Hydrate: In various religions, water is termed to be holy and it is. Drink water as much as possible.
4) There is no such thing as a "perfect" diet: Everyone is different, what works for me might not work for you and vice versa.
5) Recover: Resting is as much important as the intake of food. Just relax.
6)Eat food not nutrients: Just eat food for the sake of it, stop describing food in terms of carbs and proteins.
7)Eat what makes you happy: This doesn't mean eating pizza 3 times a day. Once you start eating healthy food, you will feel happy internally. When you eat a slice of pizza it makes you happy and it is satisfying your cravings, not your body's needs.
8)Eat your veggies: Most common known fact. (A paleo diet is better)
9)Cook: Cooking your own food is so empowering. sharing the food you cooked with your family is much better, quality time with health and staying off the screen.
Conclusion:
Food isn't something that must make us ashamed or guilty.
When it comes to food let your body drive the car and put aside your rational thinking.
I recommend following a paleo diet, it's not about starving yourself.
That will be all for today. Meat you'll again. Until then enjoy the cake and be ha-pea!
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