Is it a fad or can dieting really work for you?

As a nutritionist I do not recommend dieting to anyone. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to change lifestyle practices by learning how to eat healthy and being physically active on a consistent basis.  But that is my philosophy, the truth is most of us have an idea of how to lose weight we just are not willing to commit to it long term. Fad diets allow you to commit long enough to see results, unfortunately results are short lived and you gain all the weight back plus more once the diet ends.  It does not always have to be that way. Dieting is about discipline. If you diet and are successful it was probably because you practiced discipline. Most people fail at dieting because they lose the discipline and the motivation it took to lose 20lbs and revert back to old habits. Back to what they know and what is comfortable for them.  The other truth is most diets are so rigid and far removed from our normal eating patterns they become unrealistic and hard to maintain.

Take the south beach diet for example. The first week of dieting can be ridiculously hard if not impossible if carbohydrates are your main source of calories.  This diet asks that you remove all sources of starches from your diet including starchy vegetables and fruits for a whole week. On one hand limiting starches help reduce calories but completely removing them for a whole week can lead to health risk such as a drop in blood sugar levels also known as ketoacidosis.  Ketoacidosis is the build up of ketone (caused by the break down of fat) and acid in your body due to limited intake of sugar or foods such as carbohydrates that break down into sugar.  Remember sugar is energy, and we need it to perform work and feed our brains. After week one you are allowed to incorporate some carbohydrates back into your diets but they are still very limited. The last phase of the south beach diet has your total carbohydrate intake for the day at about 28% when the normal recommendations are 45-65%. If you keep the weight off you stay at 28% intake for carbohydrates but if you lose weight then you repeat the process all over again. 

This brings me back to the question can dieting really work for you.  The answer is no.  Diets are quick fixes, and even though some are better than others they can all pose serious health risk if you remain on them for very long periods.  Our bodies need carbohydrates, protein, and fats for a reason. Limiting or removing any one of these essential nutrients for long periods of time can cause us to develop health problems that did not exist before.

I say give up the sad love affair you have with dieting. It’s great in the beginning because the weight comes off easily, but once it's over you become disillusioned, and return to your old habits again. The weight returns with an extra 10lbs that wasn't there before.  Let dieting go and learn how to live healthy.  Find a good nutritionist who is willing to work with you not someone who wants to put you on a diet. Read a book about nutrition, healthy eating or changing unhealthy habits. Don't wait for others to motivate you, be your own cheerleader. Find a reason to make the changes if that's what you need and go for it. If you have to have a shared experience communicate with your co-workers, friends, family and neighbors, find out what they are doing and join in.