Diet Culture
We live in a society where dieting is normal. Think about
it…it seems like every time we turn around someone is saying "ugh I need to get
on a diet" or "I’m starting my diet Monday" or "I really need to get my diet in
check before vacation.". It seems as if our weight and perceptions of our bodies
takes over and the thought of “dieting” is society’s way of changing that. But
are diets the reason people struggle with their weight? Maybe…maybe not. When
people “diet” it almost always involves a restriction of calories or certain
foods in some sort of way. What if I told you that you could still enjoy the
foods you love and still lose weight…would you believe me? Well it is true.
There is more to nutrition than just calories in and calories out. It involves
a complicated process involving hormones and metabolic processes that occur
within the body.
Its time to
ditch the My Fitness Pal app general calorie recommendation of 1200 calories
and begin listening to your body and honoring your hunger cues. Typically when
people “diet”, they restrict calories way too much and put themselves in a
severe calorie deficit. While a slight deficit in caloric intake can help you
shed some weight, a severe calorie restriction can halt your weight loss and
put more stress on your body. That being said…your body is very smart…in a
severe calorie restriction your body will do the opposite of burn fat. Since
your body does not know when you will provide it with energy (food) next, it
will hold on to fat in an effort to preserve energy to maintain body functions.
So you’re
thinking…okay so how do I successfully lose weight without tracking every
single calorie and making sure I don’t create a severe calorie deficit. Well, that’s
a very individualized question and requires more than just a simple answer. It
comes down to a variety of factors including how active you are, what types of
foods you enjoy or don’t enjoy, what your social life looks like and even what
your work schedule is like. A dietitian can help you determine a successful
weight loss plan that works for YOU. A good start is to begin by truly
listening to your body and recognizing when you are truly hungry (not emotionally
hungry) and when you are truly full. This is more commonly known as intuitive
eating. Intuitive eating is a great approach for chronic dieters and isn’t just
for those who want to lose weight. I could write and entire blog on intuitive
eating so I will save that for later.
But for now what I want you to remember
is that restricting calories too much can be harmful to your body and prevent
weight loss. It is also important to consult with a dietitian if you are
attempting to lose weight and want to keep it off! Personally I do not like the
term “dieting”. Food is energy and our bodies need energy. Some foods are more
nutrient dense than others and can aid is weight loss but consulting with a dietitian
is the best approach for long-term success!
-NB
NB, thank you for bringing up a topic I am so fond of! Our society and many different external factors have programmed us to believe we need to look a certain way and in order to achieve this you have to do "X,Y,Z". We have created a culture around a concept that the risks far outweigh the benefits which is proven time and time again in the literature. We need to learn how to be comfortable with listening to our bodies and honoring our hunger cues as you stated, which ironically may be more difficult to some due to the dieting culture we have created. As a dietitian, this is something I will strive to help people achieve in my future career. Thank you for your great post! -AG
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