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Why Your Diet
May Not Be Working!
by:
Nishanth
Reddy
Jennifer, a
middle-aged single mother
with one six-year-old
daughter, has been skipping
sweets for a few weeks now.
She’s also become a stickler
for portion control. She
feels as if she’s eating
less than ever, and she’s
been diligently exercising
for an hour at a time at
least four days a week. Yet,
she hasn’t lost a single
pound. The question is,
“Why?”
This is a
dilemma which affects
dieters the world over. They
think they are taking the
steps necessary to lose
weight, but nothing seems to
be happening. In essence,
they are trapped in a
dieting rut and they don’t
know how to free themselves.
As a result, they become
frustrated and depressed and
may then engage in binge
eating.
One of the
problems with diets is that
they are often standardized.
As a result, they don’t take
into consideration your
individual physiology and
metabolism. They provide a
cookie-cutter approach to
weight loss—an approach
which may not work in your
individual case. As a
result, an increasing number
of people are turning to
dieticians to formulate a
person weight loss strategy
for them. This process has
been made easier through the
Internet, where you can
correspond with a dietician
any time of the day or night
via e-mail. The dietician
can also act as your
personal coach, helping you
through your dieting
dilemmas.
Another
reason that you may be
failing at your diet is
because of a lack of
support. You may have family
members who can eat whatever
they want and seemingly not
gain a pound. As a result,
they may fill your
refrigerator with junk food,
leading you into temptation.
Also, you may feel as if you
have no one to turn to in
order to discuss your weight
problems. In order to solve
this problem, many
individuals look to
psychotherapists to help
them with their food-related
issues. This can be
particularly important if an
individual has turned to
purging in an effort to
combat their weight
problems. Bulimia is a
serious disease which must
be treated in order to
ensure the good health of
the patient. Thankfully,
there are a number of
treatment programs
throughout the U.S.
specifically focusing on
bulimia.
Yet another
reason for diet failure is
hidden calories. You may
literally be consuming
calories and not even
realize it. For instance,
the frappucinos that are so
popular today are loaded
with calories—as many as 600
in a single serving! You may
also be indulging in sugary
sodas—another source of
extra calories. By taking a
few simple steps, such as
eliminating the exotic
coffee drinks from your diet
and substituting skim milk
for whole milk, you may be
able to eliminate the hidden
calories that are denying
you dieting success.
Lack of
consistency can also be a
diet-killer. You might go on
a diet for a while, then
quit before you’ve made any
measurable progress. It’s
only natural to want to see
quick results. The problem
is that healthy weight loss
involves losing only a
couple of pounds a week.
That means you’ll have to
stay on your diet for months
before you see appreciable
weight loss. Discouraging?
It can be, but if you keep a
positive attitude you can
achieve your ideal weight.
You may also
be more successful in your
dieting if you consider it
to be a lifestyle change.
Therefore, your diet becomes
a meal plan for life. This
means that you must change
the way you look at food. It
is designed to be fuel for
your body, and nothing more.
As a result, you should not
turn to food to make you
feel better or to provide
you with a sense of comfort.
A lifestyle change implies
commitment; it means that
you are prepared to follow
the plan for the long haul.
If you feel as if you cannot
be on your diet for any
appreciable length of time,
perhaps it’s time to
consider a different diet.
Your aim ultimately should
be not simply to lose
weight, but to become
healthier. A fad diet will
not allow you to reach that
milestone. Therefore, you
must choose your diet
carefully. |
