Ditch the Diet, Darling

Have you, like me, created New Year's resolutions regarding your health? One that dealt with losing weight, exercising more, trying a new diet? Have you, also like me, tried a bunch of different diets up to this point in your life? Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, Nutrisystem, Keto, Paleo, Atkin's . . . the list goes on and depressingly on. I've seen the commercials for the pills that curb cravings and reduce belly fat. I've done the workout videos and followed meal plans. I've been the gym rat and cut carbs. I've tried the supplements and drink mixes. And I'm here to sadly report, as I'm sure mostly anyone who has tried a diet can also attest, that I don't weigh less than when I started. I weigh a lot more. And after my most recent bout with "supplements" that were supposed to wake me up and burn fat instead of glucose, I decided to take matters into my own hands and do some research into dieting.

As you may know, I've been on a journey of self-acceptance since late last summer. I've read some books on nutrition and am working through the Intuitive Eating Workbook, and all of these resources have one thing in common: diets don't work. Lifestyle changes and eating whole foods do. So, my rule of thumb is, if anything requires me to limit or completely avoid certain foods, if it's complicated, involves a meal plan, or has "diet" in its title, I avoid it.

Thank goodness I still have access to my university's research database - the sources I quote and use are peer-reviewed, published articles that you should check out if you want to know more. I, of course, am synthesizing this information for a brief blog post, but the knowledge on diets and how much they don't work is abundant. So research on, friends! Use what I've looked up as your springboard! And also keep in mind that I'm not a healthcare professional. It's important to always consult a doctor before taking on any new changes in eating or physical activity.

If you would like me to make a master post of the reliable health resources I've come across thus far, let me know in the comments and I can certainly do that.

Gaining Weight and Dieting

In 2011, the weight-loss market was estimated to be worth over $60 billion in the United States. It doesn't help that over the last century, Americans are becoming heavier and heavier with a child obesity "epidemic" that has been prevalent since the 90's. Compared to someone living in the 1940s, the jobs we do every day have changed dramatically. Less and less people are moving consistently throughout their days as labor becomes technical and more requires sitting at a computer for 8+ hours at a time. With more things becoming digital, the feeling of "instant gratification" has, of course, become prominent. I'm guilty of it - if my phone starts acting up and I can't quickly do what I had originally sought to do, I'm on the edge of rage. Naturally, this feeling of instant gratification would carry over when a person decides to lose weight and get in shape. I can watch one episode of American Ninja Warrior and want to go to the gym immediately. A few months ago, I probably would have been disappointed if I went to the gym consistently for a week and didn't see any changes.

But I'm not alone. According to a study in France, commercial diets like Weight Watchers or Nutrisystem were followed for less than a month compared to dietary guidelines that were followed for more than a month. The reasons for people, particularly women, dropping off the plans? A different study explains that they weren't losing as much weight as they want as quickly as expected (Franz, 2004). And what happens when we fall off the dieting train we started? We regain what we lost, or gain even more. Since this next statistic was taken in 1995, it has more than likely changed, but I don't foresee it being that much different based on more recent articles I've read: "Research indicates that only one out of five diet program clients loses weight, and that even fewer keep it off: Only 10 percent keep it off for two years, and just two percent keep it off for seven years" (Phillips, 1995). ?!?!

And thus a vicious cycle is created, especially for women. We tried to lose weight to look like the women we see on TV and in magazines and on our beauty products and on social media. These women perceived by major companies to be beautiful. These women we compare our own bodies to. And we failed. A study in 2005 summarized it well: "Women are socialized to accept the idea that their body size is an integral component of their self-worth and they tend to underestimate what female body size is perceived as most attractive. Women's attitudes and behaviors concerning their bodies and weight appear to result, at least in part, from the stringent physical standards of attractiveness that confront women. Women are increasingly unlikely to attain the thin ideal presented to them in the media, are much more likely than men to receive negative criticism of their bodies, and are more likely than men to experience discrimination when they are overweight."

While big companies like CVS are finally starting to stand up against photoshopping images and the presentation of unrealistic beauty standards, we still have a long way to go. We still have a long way to go because the dieting industry is still doing so remarkably well. Dieting is literally a cycle you're supposed to fail at while making companies more and more rich. Because guess what? If your goal and purpose of losing weight is to look good or look more like the model in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, you are doomed from the beginning.

But what happens without fail every December and January? We see an influx of commercials for gym memberships and weight loss plans in between episodes of The Walking Dead and Fixer Upper. These marketing techniques aren't subtle, but every January, there's a packed gym with people trying to sweat off the holiday weight while going home and restricting calories, and avoiding "bad foods" because they're on a diet.

Then there's the issue of cost (why the industry is doing so well). In 1995, going on an all-liquid diet for six months costed $3,000 (equivalent to $4,920.64 in 2017). The average person would lose about 10 percent of their total body weight. For a 200-pound women who loses 20 pounds, that's $150 per pound (or $246.03 today). WHAT.

Unfortunately, another effect of dieting is the development of eating disorders. People at every size can be afflicted with severe EDs, and if you have one, please consult a doctor immediately. Binge eating, anorexia, and bulemia are the big contenders and cause serious health problems if they go untreated. Binge eating, especially, is a side effect of cutting out foods - take a look at any "cheat day" meals. People eat as much junk as they want within a day because they think once that day is over, they have to go back to limiting and reducing.

Some doctors will tell you that dieting isn't bad because you're losing weight, and being at a lower weight, no matter how temporary, is better on your blood pressure and cholesterol. However, the long-term effects of dieting, especially if you're the average person who gains back what you lose, is more detrimental. Up-and-down "weight cycling" causes people anxiety over gaining or losing, depression if they fail, and stress over what they're eating (or not eating). All three of those things, in the long run, are terrible on your overall health and don't contribute to a happy life.

But I Want to Lose Weight - What Should I Do?

It has been proven time and again that simple changes over time in diet, activity levels, and attitude can make a huge difference. I hate to break it to you, but long-term change in weight and overall health won't come quick and won't come easy. Most of us, including myself, have a life-long troubled relationship with food to repair first. If you view certain foods as good and others as bad, that's a problem. Eating one meal from Taco Bell didn't make me overweight - overeating every day, not eating enough fresh and whole foods, not healthfully dealing with my emotions (aka. stress eating), and not listening to my hunger cues got me where I am. Listen to your body - if onions mess with your intestines, you probably don't want to eat them before you work out; if cheese makes you feel heavy, save it for a rainy, relaxing day. Food is fuel for your body. If you're listening to your body's hunger and satiation cues, you won't overeat. If you have healthy ways of dealing with stress or sadness or joy, you are less likely to binge. If you're eating whole foods that your body digests easier, you'll feel like you're performing optimally. Either way, it's imperative that you work on repairing your relationship with food first. (I'm saying this to myself too, as I still have a very long road ahead.)

If you feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start, a friend who is studying or has studied nutrition is a good place. Or simply asking your doctor for suggestions on how to make baby steps that will suit your lifestyle.

It is proven that a balanced diet supplemented with 30-60 min of exercise at least three times a week can have a positive effect on your health. It's easier for us to maintain or reach a healthy weight if we're moving regularly too. If you pick an exercise you enjoy doing rather than an exercise that you think you should be doing, you're more likely to do it. If you're not looking forward to your workout, why are you doing it at all? And if you think you hate exercising, you just haven't looked hard enough.

Remember when I mentioned that average weight loss is around 10-15% of total body weight? Modest weight losses in that range still have a positive effect on your overall health, improving overall cardiovascular function, blood pressure and the use of blood pressure medications, and sleep disorders (Franz, 2004). And that can happen by making simple, healthful changes. But remember that nothing will change if you don't change. If you stay in the same place mentally, emotionally, physically, don't expect to move.

For me, my changes start with my relationship with food and how I handle stress, so that's where I've been working the most. Does it show on the outside? No. Because I'm not there yet. When I can look at ice cream and not want to eat the entire tub because of x, y, or z reasons, and instead look at ice cream and say, "ah, a scoop sounds perfect," then I can start working on incorporating a heavier fitness regime into my schedule. For now, I go on walks three to four times a week and practice yoga. You have to find what works for you. And when you do, you'll balance out at a weight that is healthy for you, naturally. And it shouldn't be something you worry about because you'll be thriving in this balance.

Again, though, this takes a lot of work. Day in and day out.

Health At Every Size, a book by Linda Bacon, has five philosophies for everyone to follow:

1. Recognize that health and well-being are multi-dimensional

2. Encourage the construction of a positive self-image

3. Accept and respect the diversity of body shapes and sizes

4. Promote eating in a manner that balances individual nutritional needs, as well as hunger, satiety, appetite, and pleasure

5. Promote enjoyable and sustainable physical activities

As you're starting your journey (or if you're in the middle of it), these are good principles to keep in mind. Find exercise you enjoy, not exercise you think you should do. Really take the time to think about how incredible your body is and all the things you can do with it every second of every day.

Ending on a Positive Note

The spokeswoman for Weight Watchers International over 20 years ago said it right, "People need to understand that they are not statistics, that the statistics don't say anything about them as individuals. There are many people who have been able to lose weight and keep the weight off. But every single one of them has made a lifestyle change, eating more healthfully, moving more. If nothing had changed, nothing would have happened."

In 2009, studies proved that obesity and being overweight aren't simply a willpower problem. It's not just about choosing - but it is about recognizing cues and understanding yourself, and your body. An intervention of simple changes in food habits and aerobic exercise (little by little) resulted in individuals becoming more healthy (Soderlund, Racher, and Johansson, 2009).

Change begins and ends with you. A long-term, permanent change is going to take long-term permanent work. And you are 100% capable of that. A diet is a quick fix with a quick ending, and a temporary solution to deeply rooted issues that need attention. It is possible to reach your goals, but it requires you to really work on bettering yourself, wholly. Because remember this summer when I asked the question, "Why not me?" Why not you? Stop following all the dieting bullshit. You have the ability to make your own rules - you have the freedom to find a balance that is uniquely you! And then you can proudly work on bettering yourself - because who doesn't want to be their best selves? I know I definitely do.

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Sources

* These are not in MLA, CMS, or any other formatting because I'm not in school and this isn't a scholarly article, and I don't have to format my sourcing if I don't want to! Haha.

Dieting History in Obese Youngsters With and Without Disordered Eating. Line Claus, Caroline Braet, and Veerle Decaluwe. 2009.

Relations between body image and dieting behavior: An examination of gender differences. Charlotte Markey and Patrick Markey. 2005.

Physical activity, diet, and behavior modification in the treatment of overweight and obese adults: a systematic overview. Anne Soderlund, Annika Racher, and Titti Johansson. 2009.

Effectiveness of Weight Loss and Maintenance Interventions in Women. Marion J. Franz, MS, RD, CDE. 2004.

The Three-Month Effects of a Ketogenic Diet on Body Composition, Blood Parameters, and Performance Metrics in CrossFit Trainees: A Pilot Study. Wesley Kephart, Coree Pledge, Paul Roberson, Petey Mumford, Matthew Romero, Christopher Mobley, Jeffrey Martin, Kaelin Young, Ryan Lowery, Jacob Wilson, Kevin Huggins, and Michael Roberts. 2018.

Are detox diets an effective strategy for obesity and oxidation management in the short term?Ismael San Mauro Martin, Victor Paredes Barato, Sara Sanz Rojo, Sara Lopez Oliva, Elena Garicano Vilar, Paulina Gudalewska, Marta Martin, Xin Rui, Maria Jose Ciudad Cabanas, Luis Collado Yurrita. 2017.

Weight-Loss Strategies Used by the General Population: How Are They Perceived?Chantal Julia, Sandrine Pe´neau, Valentina A. Andreeva, Caroline Me´jean, Le´opold Fezeu,Pilar Galan, Serge Hercberg. 2014.

The effects of a "Health at Every Size"-based approach in obese women: a pilot trial of the "Health and Wellness in Obesity" study. Mariana Dimitrov Ulian, Fabiana B. Benatti, Patricia Lopes de Campos-Ferraz, Odilon J. Roble, Ramiro Fernandez Unsain, Priscila de Morais Sato, Bruna Cristina Brito, Karina Akemi Murakawa, Bruno T. Modesto, Luiz Aburad, Rômulo Bertuzzi, Antonio H. Lancha, Jr, Bruno Gualano and Fernanda B. Scagliusi. 2015.

Is dieting the best way to lose weight? Susan Phillips. April 14, 1995.