Why, as a society, are we “forever dieting”? We diet for New Years resolutions, holidays, class reunions, weddings and milestone birthdays…just to name a few. One of the reasons we struggle with dieting is that diets are about not being able to have ___________ (fill in the blank), which in turn increases the desire to have that something. Think about when someone says you can’t do something….pretty good motivator huh? Same goes with dieting. You did not even know that you liked something until you CANNOT have it. I am not a dietician or a nutritionist but dieting, historically, does not have a good long term outcome….it does however have a history of creating a yo-yo effect on the scale and the ability to increase stress when the pounds just don’t want to come off! Also, try to stay off the scale as much as possible, remember you are getting healthy not skinny!
What works long term? Lifestyle changes. Getting enough sleep, having an outlet for stress, relaxation, and eating smaller portions of healthier foods. When you have decided to stop dieting and are ready to make some lifestyle changes, remember this….start out slow and steady, it will ensure a greater ability to maintain your lifestyle changes and will decrease the stress and anxiety that is often associated with changes.
If you have any health or medical issues be sure to be under the care of your physician to ensure you are not doing anything that could be harmful….like running too much with a heart condition.
Happy Healthy Eating!
Orlando Counselor Lisa Beilman practices No Judgement Counseling and specializes in stress management, Facebook counseling, couples counseling, conflict resolution, elder counseling, career counseling and family counseling.