Why strict diets don't work
Paleo, Keto, Whole 30, Carnivore, Low carb, Low fat, Clean Eating ... you’ve probably heard them all at some point or another. Maybe you’ve even tried one or two of these ‘all promising’ weight loss diets before. Maybe it worked for you for some time, but maybe you experience increased hunger, feelings of deprivation, and zero results.
If that sounds like you, you’re not alone. Every year, millions of women and men search for the best way to achieve their ‘dream body’ and often they find themselves falling into the trap of restrictive diets. But did you know that diets have a 98% fail rate?
When we truly understand how these programs work, we quickly realize that they may be doing more harm than good. Most people either give up because it’s unsustainable, or they are successful for a short period of time, and then end up gaining the weight back when they return to a more balanced way of eating.
In this post, you’ll learn why strict dieting is ineffective + what I recommend you do instead to reach your goals AND feel like the healthiest, happiest version of yourself today and everyday.
What qualifies as a '‘strict” diet?
Sometimes it can be hard to differentiate between a strict diet vs a balanced and healthy eating plan. I want to be clear that I do not believe that limiting consumption of foods that you are sensitive or allergic to, don’t make you feel your best, or are known to be harmful for the human body is restrictive. In my opinion, that’s being mindful. But, what exactly is restrictive dieting then?
While opinions may vary, from my perspective a restrictive diet is anything that removes or significantly reduces calories and/or entire food groups, i.e. carbs, healthy fats, natural sugars, etc. without reasons mentioned above.
Severe calorie restriction will actually slow down your metabolism and make it difficult for you to continue losing weight. It’s also a major stressor on the body and will impact your hormones, gut health, energy levels, mood, and sleep.
Low carb or low fat diets significantly reduce out nutrients that are crucial for our gut health, hormonal health, energy levels, mood, skin health and more. Carbohydrates fuel our bodies and give us energy, while fats help our hormones function properly and our bodies absorb all the vitamins and minerals from our food. If we cut these out completely, we start to lack not only their properties, but the ability to absorb other nutrients too.
You might be thinking, “But what about processed foods and sugar? Those aren’t beneficial to our health at all…”
And you’re right. We all know that highly caloric and highly processed foods aren’t beneficial to us, especially when consumed in excess. However, swearing off them isn’t necessarily the best answer, either (unless you have a digestive sensitivity or allergy). Additionally, if we label certain foods as “bad” then subconsciously, we feel “bad” when eating them. This creates feelings of guilt and shame, and leads to a negative relationship with food. What’s important is being mindful when consuming these foods. I don’t love the term “moderation” because even things in moderation can be harmful to our health. But occasionally consuming ultra processed foods or sugar is OKAY and not something to totally fear. We have to live our lives.
A Vicious Cycle
When talking about wellness and nutrition, we might even find ourselves mentioning something along the lines of ‘but, I better cut out carbs tonight to fit into that dress’ or ‘I need to run off that ice cream!’ Disguised as a healthy statement, it’s something that is incredibly problematic and unsustainable.
Demonizing some food groups over others to achieve what society considers a thin, ‘healthy’ weight goal is not helpful. We are led to believe that some food groups are evil and shouldn’t be consumed to be accepted by our peers, which creates a toxic and unhealthy relationship with food, and even ourselves. It’s important to remember that every body is different.
When we get consumed by the overwhelming ideas of dieting, we can fall into the unhealthy trap of the Binge-Restrict Cycle, and it looks like this: You’ve been “good” all day - a smoothie for breakfast, a salad for lunch, chicken and veggies for dinner. Now it’s 8pm, you find yourself feeling an intense craving for something sweet. Proud of how “clean” and “healthy: you’ve eaten today, you decide one small cookie won’t hurt. But now that you’re eating the cookie, you feel an intense urge to eat more, and the next thing you know, you’ve eaten the whole box. Now, you feel guilty and shameful - not to mention physically bloated and uncomfortable. You think the answer is to restrict yourself even more tomorrow. You tell yourself, “I have no discipline,” but the truth is, if you were less restrictive during the day, you wouldn’t feel so deprived and have such intense cravings at night.
This is just 1 example of how the binge/restrict cycle can show up when we restrict too much.
Emotional shame and guilt occur post-binge, and the negative association with certain foods grows. You go back to restriction, you feel deprived, you binge again, and the cycle repeats. Instead of viewing smoothies, salads and eating whole foods as being “good” try to change the language you use around food. Smoothies and salads can be “ nourishing” and “fulfilling” whereas a donut might “not be very nutrient dense” rather than “bad.” I love thinking “what is this food doing FOR me?”
Food is meant to fuel us, nourish us and keep us energized - not make us feel tired, stressed or shameful. I encourage you to adopt this mindset with food, where you allow yourself to become reconnected and aligned with what our body is truly asking from us. Break free from negative language and instead feel what you need in each moment to be full, satisfied and energized.
Nourishing your body looks like:
Allowing yourself to eat health forward foods based on what your body wants and needs
Honoring your hunger cues - eat when you’re truly hungry, not because you’re bored, stressed, anxious or otherwise satisfying an emotional need. If you’re feeling stressed or emotional, go for a walk or journal instead of using food to cope.
Learning what your body might need for different tasks (for example, if you are busier than usual, you may need more carbohydrates to keep yourself fueled and focused)
Learn to stop eating when you are comfortably full
Enjoy flavors and different food groups & explore the beauty of food
Eat food you actually enjoy, that satiates you mentally and physically
Instead of exercising to lose weight, burn calories, or earn calories, exercise because it feels good and move in ways you enjoy.
9 things to do instead of strict dieting
I realize that diets provide us with clear guidelines and rules, which is part of the reason they’re so attractive. However, the data doesn’t lie, and 98% of the time, diets simply don’t work. I encourage you not to waste your time and instead focus on these 9 areas to reach your goals.
Get back in touch with your hunger cues
Practice mindful eating, which means eating in a calm environment without distractions. Smell your food, have a moment of gratitude before you eat, chew slowly, and savor all the textures and flavors of your food.
Make space for all types of food, but prioritize WHOLE FOODS. No, not the grocery store. Whole foods as in real, natural foods in their purest form.
Focus on what you can add to your plate to make it more nourishing and nutrient-dense, not what you need to take away or restrict
Learn the basics of optimizing gut health and hormone health
Drop the all-or-nothing mindset and focus on consistency and 1% daily improvements.
Drop the timeline - commit to becoming the type of person who takes care of themselves for the rest of your life, not just until you go on vacation or finish your big event.
Invest in a coach or a program to hold you accountable
I want you to know that it’s okay to want to change your body, but it has to come from a place of self-love, not shame, restriction or punishment. A long-term, sustainable nutrition plan is what will allow you to reach your goals, not an all-or-none approach that leaves you feeling down.
If you need help reaching your wellness goals in a way that feels good mentally and physically, click here to book a consultation.
