Search Weight Loss Topics:

Home » Lose Weight Quickly » Science says the best diet for health and weight loss is no diet – TechnoCodex

Dr. Charlotte Markey and Oona Hanson

If youre having trouble sticking to a weight-loss resolution, you arent alone.

But you dont have to feel defeated or worry you arent properly prioritizing your health during a pandemic. In fact, if we truly want to support our well-being, science tells us we should avoid dieting like, well, the plague.

Decades of research reveal that diets just dont work. They are more likely to lead to weight gain and can do harm along the way. Yet every year millions of people feel compelled to embark on a regimen doomed to fail them.

Rather than seeing the inherent problem in the diets themselves, individuals often feel guilty and vow to try harder next time. It takes a lot of savvy and strength to resist blaming ourselves and jumping back on the diet bandwagon.

Skip the diet:You should make this your New Years resolution

The comforts many have relied on baking sourdough bread, finding the best work-from-home sweatpants, binge-watching Netflix were briefly celebrated before becoming demonized as contributors to the so-called quarantine 15. Fat-phobic memes and food-shaming jokes have made us more vulnerable to the claim that we must atone for our supposed sins of gluttony and sloth when, in fact, we have been engaging in morally neutral survival behaviors.

Weight-loss companies welcomed the opportunity to cash in on our anxieties. But they dont sell diets anymore no, they have cleverly re-packaged their programs as lifestyle changes, resets and cleanses.

More:An imaginary pigeon therapist helps land Collingswood author major movie deal

The most famous diet company in the world, Weight Watchers, is now WW: Wellness that Works.Noom promises you can lose weight no dieting required. Influencers are also reluctant to use the word diet and instead sell detoxes or share low-calorie what I eat in a day posts. It doesnt matter what you call it; restricting calories with the goal of weight loss is unlikely to be effective in the long run and can undermine health in the process.

We may feel powerless in the face of manipulative marketing, but science can strengthen our resolve. Its a lot easier to let go of dieting when we understand diets fundamental flaws and potential health risks.

When people give up on a January diet or regain weight at any time of year we tend to blame it on lack of effort, self-disciplineor willpower. But its biology, not our level of commitment, that resists caloric restriction and weight loss.

Built-in mechanisms protecting humans from starvation dont know the difference between a famine and a fad diet. Sensing a threat to safety, our bodies skillfully combat efforts at weight loss. Both psychological and physiological mechanisms lead us to crave the very foods weve deemed off-limits; the forbidden fruit tastes sweetest.

And we have little control over complex systems, including our metabolism and hormones, that can play a role in our size.

Our bodies often prepare for future deprivation by adding more weight than we lost seen in the majority of people who intentionally lose weight for a period of time.

Whats the harm in at least trying to lose weight one more time? For most people, diets take a toll on physical and emotional well-being.

Although some experience an almost euphoric feeling at the start of a diet, this honeymoon phase wears off quickly.

Even without the added challenge of stressful world events, staying on a diet is really hard. Sticking to a restrictive plan might seem admirable, but what looks like dedication also can be the beginning of an eating disorder. Even those who never go on to suffer a disorder may develop disordered eating, an unhealthy relationship with food.

That feeling you cant name?:Its called emotional exhaustion

Am I OK?:How to do a mental health check

The behaviors most diets require tracking meals, counting calories/points/macros can lead to elevated cortisol levels, a marker of biological stress. Caloric restriction by itself is a stressor. Being hangry on a regular basis just isnt good for us.

Because most people who lose weight will regain it (and then some), dieting can catalyze weight cycling, where ones size shifts up and down with repeated attempts at weight loss. This so-called yo-yo dieting strains both physical and psychological health.

Dieting also does harm by reinforcing the false notion that thinner is always better, a bias known as weight stigma. Adopting this hierarchical mentality about bodies hurts the individual dieter and contributes to systemic prejudices. Research suggests dieters experience less positive body image compared to non-dieters, regardless of their size. In other words, dieting doesnt fix poor body image, and may lead us to judge ourselves and others more harshly.

Because dieting is so common, many people arent sure how to eat otherwise. Luckily, there is a well-established approach that supports nutrition and overall well-being.

Intuitive eating prioritizes being gentle with yourself, attending to hunger and satiety cues, and enjoying a wide variety of food. This framework allows people to care for themselves by tuning out the diet messages and trusting their bodies. Intuitive eating resources are widely available from anti-diet dietitians.

For those with a history of dieting, its not easy to let go of the structure, appsand color-coded food guides not to mention the promise of transformation.

If eating intuitively feels out of reach, its important to get help. Disordered eating can affect anyone, regardless of race, age, gender, or weight. Many therapists and dietitians specialize in helping people heal their relationship with food, and you dont need a formal diagnosis to deserve support.

The pandemic has taken so much away from us eating in restaurants, family gatherings, and nearly all sense of normalcy so its easy to feel lost right now. Diet companies and influencers will continue to try to convince us they have an answer to all our woes, something that will make us feel in control and healthy.

However, science tells us both our bodies and minds will be better off with a hefty dose of self-compassion and a commitment to avoiding diets, however tempting they may be. As more people resist dieting, the easier it will be for others; we can then save our energy for more satisfying and meaningful pursuits.

Parent coach Oona Hanson helps families foster healthy relationships with food and body image. She holds a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology and in English.

Dr. Charlotte Markey is a professor of psychology and health sciences at Rutgers University-Camden. Her most recent book, The Body Image Book for Girls: Love Yourself and Grow Up Fearless, was published in 2020.

Continue reading here:
Science says the best diet for health and weight loss is no diet - TechnoCodex

Your Full Name
Your Email
Your Phone Number
Select your age (30+ only)	30313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
Select Your US State	Select Your StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington,DCWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Program Choice	Select Your ProgramInjectable HGHInjectable TestoteroneInjectable SermorelinInjectable Weight LossInjectable HCG DietInjectable Vitamins
Confirm over 30 years old	Yes
Confirm that you resident in USA	Yes
This is a Serious Inquiry	Yes
Message:

Home » Lose Weight Quickly » Science says the best diet for health and weight loss is no diet – TechnoCodex