Have you thought about how many diets, detoxes, and plans you’ve tried in your lifetime?
When new students join the Mindful Nutrition Method, they’ve usually tried three diets, plans, or trends before seeking sustainable solutions from us. The fact that they’re coming to us indicates that these methods typically don’t work. But they’re not alone – more and more people are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and fed up with dieting due to the influx of trends, quick-fix plans, and diets being released every week.
Our mission at Nutrition Stripped is to help you find confidence in nourishing yourself with ease, so you can ditch the diets and make peace with food. This involves hopping off of the diet train and learning why these diets are doing more harm than good. Here are 5 reasons why diets don’t work for most of us, and what you can do instead to mindfully care for your body and yourself.
Reasons Why Diets Don’t Work
First and foremost, when we refer to diets, we mean choosing to follow food guidelines and restrictions as a personal choice (such as cutting carbs, counting macros, or adhering to a strict eating schedule). This does not include medically-necessary diets prescribed by a health professional.
Most diets involve restricting caloric intake in some way, whether by limiting a food group or overall intake. I’ve seen firsthand through my experience as a Registered Dietitian and Mindful Nutrition Method Coach working with students that this can lead to increased cravings, decreased confidence around food, hyperfocus on food choices, guilt, stress, and anxiety, loss of control, and digestive complications.
1. Dieting Can Take The Joy And Pleasure Out Of The Food Experience
Food is more than nourishment – it’s tradition, culture, and joy. Diets often remove joy from eating and cause food to be viewed only as a means to an end. Reframing your approach to meals can create a new appreciation for nourishment, love, and joy.
2. Short-Term Thinking — Start And Stop Mentality
Diets often promote short-term thinking and fail to teach how to integrate healthy habits into your life in a balanced way. Focus on long-term, sustainable choices that you can realistically sustain for years.
3. They Often Require You to Have Foods that Are “Off-Limits”
Following strict guidelines can lead to unhealthy extremes and contribute to a yo-yo diet cycle. Avoid eliminating foods for the sake of dieting without medical necessity. This can do more harm than good and lead to repeated dieting.
4. Diets Are One-Size-Fits-All — They Don’t Take Your Unique Body And Life Into Consideration
Popular diets don’t necessarily align with your unique wants and needs, leading to guilt, stress, and overwhelm around food. Instead, focus on what works for you and your life and create a wellness vision that aligns with your unique needs.
5. They Ask You to Do Too Much All At Once, Making it Hard to Maintain
Diets often require numerous changes overnight, making it difficult to maintain. Instead, build up changes and habits over time, stacking them on top of each other to create a solid foundation for lasting lifestyle changes.
