Why diets don’t work—and what does

By Karen Malkin

Over 97 million dieters in the U.S. contribute to an almost $66 billion industry—an industry largely made up of quick fixes and “magic” pills that encourage and rewards restriction, according to market data research from 2017.

But here’s the thing: restriction doesn’t work. It’s simply not sustainable. And that’s why the diet industry is such a behemoth. The ethos that it promotes is purposely flawed and designed primarily for profit. If your patient can’t sustain the diets put forth, they’ll always be in search of another diet, and on and on it goes.

How Can Diets Hurt You?

Diets aren’t sustainable for a number of reasons, not least of which is that from an emotional standpoint, it’s unhealthy to judge yourself by a number on the scale. When you wake up in the morning seeking approval from the numbers you see when you step onto it, you’re setting yourself up for a rollercoaster of negative emotions that can lead to a dangerous cycle of binging and restricting.

What’s more, diets set you up to see food as the “enemy.” It’s hard for you to truly enjoy your meals when you’re worried about every morsel you put in your mouth conforming to a certain protocol or plan. Diets tend to break food into “good” and “bad” categories and that simply doesn’t work because what may be a “good” food for you may be a “bad” food for someone else and vice versa. Diets assume that we all respond to food in the same way, and that’s false.

Restrictive diets may also have you skipping meals—especially if you “splurged” earlier in the day—or diets may prohibit you from eating between meals. If you’re not eating extremely well-balanced meals in the first place, this can set you up for massive blood sugar dips that in turn bring on intense cravings.

Finally, dieting is stressful. When you’re under a lot of stress, your body produces more cortisol, a stress-regulating hormone. High levels of cortisol in your system may encourage overeating because it can blunt the production of leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite. What’s more is that high levels of cortisol can contribute to abdominal fat and visceral fat—the deep-seated abdominal fat that is linked to heart disease and diabetes.¹

What to Do Instead?

It’s clear that the downsides of traditional dieting may outweigh the upsides. But that doesn’t help you if you desperately want to lose weight, gain energy, and feel good in your clothes! Here are a few key ways you can achieve your goals to get healthy without getting caught up in the dieting machine:

Let go of your scale

Stash it away in the closet for an extended sabbatical, while you instead focus on how you feel. You’ll begin to better understand how your body responds to your lifestyle choices if you become more aware and mindful about what’s going in your body without relying strictly on the numbers on the scale.

Keep blood sugar stable

Reduce caffeine intake (which can impact insulin levels and consequently your blood sugar levels).² Make sure you don’t skip meals and focus on keeping a balance of nutrients (complete with lean protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, and healthy fats). Adding cinnamon to your meals may help assist in keeping your levels at an even keel.

Cut cravings off at the pass

Don’t keep sugary, fatty, carb-laden foods in your pantry; drink more water; and get 7-8 hours of sleep. If carb cravings plague you, eat foods rich in chromium, such as oats, broccoli, barley, and tomatoes.³

See food as nourishment, pleasure, and love

Rewriting your relationship with food may be the most powerful way to find lasting health and ditch dieting for good. Food represents a way to connect with yourself and others. Once you can see food as true nourishment, you remove the shackles and find true freedom.

Resources:

1. Rosmond, R., C. Bouchard, & P. Bjorntorp. A C-1291G polymorphism in the _ 2A-adrenergic receptor gene (ADRA2A) promoter is associated with cortisol escape from dexamethasone and elevated glucose levels. Journal of Internal Medicine 251: 252-257, 2002.  
2. Moisey LL, Kacker S, Bickerton AC, Robinson LE, Graham TE. 2008. “Caffeinated coffee consumption impairs blood glucose homeostasis in response to high and low glycemic index meals in healthy men.”  Am J Clin Nutr  87 (5): 1254-1261
3. http://journals.lww.com/practicalpsychiatry/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2005&issue=09000&article=00004&type=abstract