The weight loss and diet industry is
worth billions of dollars, annually. This may be of no surprise to you, given the
widespread focus in our society on body size, “health” and nutrition. Needless
to say, our society is saturated with dieting consumers, hopeful of losing
weight. So the question begs to be asked: What are the results of all these
dieting efforts? Are the billions of dollars spent on diets and weight-loss
paying off? Or on the contrary, are our efforts actually proving to be more
problematic than helpful?
First of all, the reality: dieting has
yet to reveal a sustainable solution for weight management. Although fad diets
may facilitate quick weight loss, sustainable weight management is another
story. The short story is: dieting doesn’t work. What's more, dieting can
provoke metabolic disturbances and disordered eating patterns which can lead to
destructive, and potentially dangerous health and emotional outcomes. I’d like to present an alternative
approach, the “No Diet” Diet. This depicts a lifestyle free of dieting -- an experience
defined not by rules, numbers or
irrational beliefs. Instead, it invites instinct, trust, freedom and a true loving
of self and body. For some, this experience with food is quite foreign, so much
that the thought may sound intimidating, maybe even daunting. The truth is,
however, that our ability to trust our body and restore a relationship with
food, is possible.
Imagine a young child that is being
encouraged to eat past fullness. How much success is the parent going to have
in encouraging the child to continue eating? Very little. Why is this the case?
Because human beings are innately equipped with internal cues which signal to
us: ‘it’s time to eat’ or ‘stop eating.’ So what happens as we get older? External
factors can confuse our ability to listen to these internal cues. External
factors such as stress, emotions, social norms, disordered eating behaviors, body
image struggles, distrust in body (or self), to name a few. Thus, many feel
they need dieting in order to monitor
their food intake. When likely, it is the internal cues innate to our existence
that have been quieted -- overshadowed by messages suggesting we “skip meals to lose weight” or
invitations to religiously restrict calories under caloric needs, often to
wreak havoc on our metabolism and our emotional well-being.
So why hasn’t this “No Diet” Diet caught
on? Maybe it’s because, as a society, we desire convenience. We desire “quick
fixes.” And… if we’re being honest, we struggle with being patient. I mean, do
we really want to take the scenic route when we can get there faster another
way? I know I’ve thought that. The “No Diet” Diet is not a quick fix. Instead, it
is a way of living. And like
anything, relearning something that we haven’t done in a while…takes time. And
the benefits? Freedom! Freedom to
nourish our body and enjoy food. Freedom
to empower our whole self – body, mind and soul. The scenic route is available
to us all. The question you may be asking is: Do I want to take it? Oh and if
you do, there’s just one thing you’ll have to give up. Dieting.
