Why I Emphatically Dislike the Concept of “Dieting” Part 1

"About 10 years ago I went from a size 12 to a size 4. I tried a million fad diets, but I realized making healthier choices was the way to keep the weight off. 

There is no magic pill."

Jillian Michaels (Black Team trainer on Biggest Loser)

Ok. Here’s a hot button issue for most people, to include me. So much so that I can’t fit everything that needs to be said into one post. This topic is going to have to be a series, I’m pretty sure that’s the only way I can offer enough explanation to you about why the traditional societal concept of dieting is NO GOOD. Of course this post is Part 1.

Before we dive into this topic too deep let’s take a look at the definitions of the word diet. I took a look at dictionary.com and this is what I found:

Diet

–noun

1. food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health: Milk is a wholesome article of diet.

2. a particular selection of food, especially as designed or prescribed to improve a person's physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease: a diet low in sugar.

3. such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight: No pie for me, I'm on a diet.

4. the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group: The native diet consists of fish and fruit.

5. food or feed habitually eaten or provided: The rabbits were fed a diet of carrots and lettuce.

6. anything that is habitually provided or partaken of: Television has given us a steady diet of game shows and soap operas.

–verb (used with object)

7. to regulate the food of, especially in order to improve the physical condition.

8. to feed.

–verb (used without object)

9. to select or limit the food one eats to improve one's physical condition or to lose weight: I've dieted all month and lost only one pound.

10. to eat or feed according to the requirements of a diet.

I’ll be the first to admit that quite a few of these definitions seem relatively identical, definition 2, 3, 9 and 10  are the four I would like to concentrate on for the moment. Notice all four of these definitions reference a selection, limitation, or regulation of food. It seems words like these have become the societal idea of “diet”. 

When most people hear the word diet they automatically think, “Awe man, I’m not going to be able to eat what I want” or “Looks like I’m eating rabbit food for the next few months”, which is not always the case but I’ll cover that next week in Part 2. Diets have become an evil thing that tends to leave more people feeling discouraged than empowered. 

“Diets” always have an expiration date, which is a major problem. Think about all the people you know who have ever been on a diet, including yourself if you have ever tried any diet. Now think about how the diet worked. Pretty much all “diets” work the same way. Eat “this” for 8 weeks (or any other specific duration of time) and you will shed the pounds. Sound about right? Here's on of the major problems with almost every diet. They don’t tell you what to do when the specified time from is over. What do you do at the end of 8 weeks? Well, sad truth is, most people regain the weight they lost during that 8 week “diet”.

Therein lies another super huge gargantuan problem with “diets”, which is, THEY DON’T TEACH YOU ANYTHING! Most “diets” tell you exactly what to do, but they don’t tell you why you’re doing it. If you don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing how can you have continued success and not just 8 weeks of success? Here’s how, throw out the notion of “diets” and embrace a lifestyle change as it relates to how and what you eat.

Next week I will get a little more into that topic, “Diet” vs Lifestyle Change.

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Thanks for reading!

Your Friend,

RJ