The Blog
The Secrets Behind The Diet Failure
Monday 13th March 2017
The Secret of the DIET FAILURE
Around the world there are so many conversations that take place about how someone has tried a diet, succeeded for a while but then ended up weighing more than they did in the first place? Sound familiar?
The conversations then go on to why the diet hadn't been a success - Willpower? Time? It was Christmas? They were on holiday? It was a bad week? All the reasons reflect a pretty recusant vibe about failure and a large bucket of guilt, blame and self-talk that only seems to amount to a good beating! Not giving anyone a happy frame of mind really!
The emotional side of losing weight is very real and it usually comprises of a good mix of unfavorable negativity, but how about looking at it a little differently? Stop giving yourself such a pounding, as the physical side to losing weight really isn't given enough portion of blame!
Physical Reason Number 1
Your Gut Health
Just to save you the time of reading The Diet Myth (please do so if you have the thirst for such knowledge - it's by Professor Tim Spector and readily available on Amazon) here are the basics. Essentially it backs up recent theories that our gut bacteria are responsible for our bodies. There are many tests to suggest that the more diverse our microbiome (our gut bacteria) is, the healthier we are. In particular, it appears that tests reveal obese individuals have much less diverse gut bacteria than slim individuals. So the more bacteria, the slimmer you may be...potentially.
It has been proven in some tests that dieting, reducing food intake and food types, affects this bacteria in our gut and could actually be responsible for weight gain in the long run!
The gut bacteria is still a relatively new theory that continues with it's research but so far, it proves that feeding our gut bacteria, looking after it and promoting more of the little guys, can only be a good thing.
How To Help Physical Reason Number 1?
Eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut, sourdough, yoghurt and kefir (see recipes). Nourish your bacteria with fibre rich and fresh foods.
And DON'T DIET.
Physical Reason Number 2
Hormones
Did you ever stop to think that your body doesn't actually WANT to diet? It has been designed to stop you from starving, so putting it in "starvation mode" is going to kick-start a whole load of issues that are inherent to your make up!
There is a little hormone called Ghrelin. He's the little chap that "growls" to let you know you're hungry and sends you off in search of food. When you are dieting and restricting your food intake, Ghrelin is nature's way to cry: "Hey, get me something to eat!" He is a clever chap, because his other job is to help your body store fat in times of crisis, ensuring there's something in reserve: which is what you're fighting to get rid of! He's going to try to stop you from starving yourself and he's a strong little thing!
So, we have another hormone that starts buzzing about at eating time too, this one is called Leptin. He's a wonderful thing as he usually "leaps" in to say when you've eaten enough, telling you that you are full. Unfortunately, he doesn't appear to be heard particularly well when Ghrelin is working hard and his signals can be easily missed or ignored during lean times. The result? Your ability to feel "full" is no longer functional and over eating can then become a habit.
How to help Physical Reason Number 2
Ghrelin is in your body's make up to stop you from starving. It will be with you every miserable step of the way. How you can avoid this fight -
DON'T DIET
Physical Reason Number 3
Metabolism
Again, you are fighting your body's natural protective nature when you diet. It doesn't want to starve so when the calories are reduced and less food is about, it will step down in to "coasting mode". Your body is able to adapt to this reduction of fuel and it slows your metabolism down. Your Resting Metabolic Rate will reduce - meaning it will actually need less food to keep things functioning! What the? If you're someone who loves your food, this is bad news, right?
How To Help Physical Reason Number 3
You don't need to make massive cuts in calories to lose weight. You can change the type of calories you eat, make healthier choices, better use of the food you are putting into your body. Ok, it may not make the weight loss happen as quickly as some "diet club/scheme/nutrition plan/supplement" but you are making changes for life. Re-educating yourself with a new understanding of sustaining a healthy weight will have less strain and impact on your body, making weight loss far more likely to succeed long term. So...
DON'T DIET
Physical Reason Number 4
Triedness*
Ok, it can't be helped at times and many of us have succumbed to the daily drag of the knuckles to the coffee machine. However, we should know from our own experiences and the objective to "eat better", that the days we are tired are the days our eating really does go off plan!
Unfortunately, Ghrelin also comes along (remember the "growling" guy?) when we're tired. He wants some fuel to keep you going and he's doing everything he is programmed to do to look after you - nice guy! He has another mate with him too when you're tired and that's a stress hormone called Cortisol. This guy is not conducive of "eating healthier". It causes spikes in your glucose levels. What does that do? It will have you reaching for the biscuit tin and sweet stuff, and once that vicious cycle starts, you've got a battle on your hand that you probably won't win!
How to Help Physical Reason Number 4
Reducing your calories to attempt to lose weight when you're tired only makes this issue worse. Get some more sleep, find time to relax and...
DON'T DIET
Physical Reason Number 5
Genetics
We have heard this many times - "my mum was a large lady, my nan was big too, we've all been on diets, we just can't beat genetics".
There is a certain amount of truth in this, however, it is paramount you find what is a healthy for you and build a realistic goal around that. Maintaining a positive frame of mind, good eating habits and following an exercise routine which are achievable, are all things to help towards those genetic triggers being reduced...all of which don't involve dieting!
How To Help Physical Reason Number 5
Keep active, positive, love the body you have, avoid or reduce processed foods and...
DON'T DIET
The Conclusion
The Diet Failure really shouldn't be about you giving yourself a good dose of negative self-talk. There are so many factors that your body needs to overcome due to the inherent nature of its will to stay alive! Feeling bad about a blow out of bad eating, weight gain or failure to stick to a diet plan only ensures your body continues on its no-win cycle you are so keen to stop.
There is far more success with a happy mind and realistic goals when it comes to
weight loss. Enjoying the huge choice of diverse and wonderful foods out there, focusing on being kind to yourself and filling your life with activities that enrich and refocus your mind will give you a healthier and happier body .
So, instead of embarking on a life just thinking about the foods you feel you CAN'T eat, feeling low and allowing cravings to control you, respect your body's natural make up, fuel it correctly, actually live your life and..,DON'T DIET.