As a young woman I spent decades dieting with every fad of the 1970s and ’80s. At one point, I think I even had the urine of pregnant cows injected into me. Guess what? It didn’t work. Neither did that fasting program, the soup diet or having my jaw wired shut. (Remind me to tell you how I got a milkshake through the wires.)
I work with a lot of women and I would say at any given time half are "on a diet." I’m not talking about the one who watches what she eats. I am speaking about the woman who drastically alters her life by going on a low-calorie or fad diet to lose weight quickly. These diets capitalize on the fear of being overweight and promise instant results, although most have no scientific research to back them nor are they medically safe. Instead, these plans rely on testimony from people who have tried them and gotten short-term results.
What they actually do is drastically lower metabolism, putting the body into starvation mode. When this happens, the body begins to store fat and, instead, you begin to lose lean muscle mass. The mentality is comparable to that of an athlete who uses steroids to win.
The pressure to be thin in this society is tremendous and larger women are often perceived as being out of control. Diets are an act of desperation. A lot of women make the decision to lose weight because they aren’t happy with themselves. You may have gained weight as a result of stress, depression, boredom, anger or frustration. Food becomes the comfort that may temporarily relive the emotional pain.
However, binging makes you feel guilty, ultimately escalating the original pain. Eating gets out of control, clothes don’t fit and you may even isolate yourself. I did. As food consumption starts to be the focus, dieting becomes the desperate attempt to get back in control. This diet is different.
Sound familiar?
As the end of the diet approaches and your goal weight is almost reached, it is time to get on with your life, you figure, because dieting is not part of the real world. Coming off of it, you’ve learned nothing about your body or how to eat properly. Needless to say, old patterns return, setting you up for failure.
So if diets really don’t work, what are we supposed to do to get to a healthy weight?
First, educate yourself and learn to follow a consistent and balanced food program — one that stresses health, not just weight loss. Parents must remember the dieting mentality sets up our children to develop eating disorders. I advocate making exercise the first priority. When you start moving, you’ll find you are motivated to make better choices.
Finally, stop beating yourself up for imperfections. Learn to nurture yourself with the love and patience it takes to be the best you can be.
Debra Mazda is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and president of ShapelyGirl Fitness, which includes workout DVDs, CDs and an online community at www.debramazda.com. Contact her at debra@debramazda.com.
