Diets don't work... 50 million people have been LIED to and accepted the idea that diets will give them the perfect body... and the perfect life. Desperate, they bought the latest diet book on Amazon or rushed out to Barnes & Noble or their favorite local bookstore because they want RESULTS right now! If only they could lose 20 pounds, or even 100, life would be so much better. Sorry, not sorry to disappoint you and burst your diet bubble.
Skinny jeans and a perfect size 8 dress won't buy you real happiness... Joyful living is about loving and accepting yourself for who you are, not who others expect you to be. requires a mindful awareness of your life and the world around you. Most dieters have stopped enjoying food or they have marked on their calendars the day they can stop restricting foods they love.
"I feel awful but I lost 8 pounds. I'm staying on this diet."
Have you said this to yourself? Yes, let's make ourselves feel awful all in the name of going down a dress size. WTF! No sane, healthy person would actually do this, sacrifice their health just to please others. This is the exact opposite of self-love and self-compassion.
"THE BIGGEST LOSER" Diets
The Biggest Loser reality tv show seemed like a great idea, right? Obese contestants compete against each for 30 weeks, hoping to lose the most weight and win the ultra cool cash prize. Each contestant works with a coach, pushes their limitations and confronts emotional blocks contributing to emotional eating and significant weight gain. Or maybe this is just a show about punishing our bodies.
National Institute of Health (NIH) researchers followed 14 "Biggest Loser" contestants over the course of six years. Their findings showed most of the participants had gained back most of the weight they lost on the show, and some participants even gained more weight.
Here are 5 Reasons Why Diets Don't Work:
Diets Have Expiration Dates. Brides go on diets and start working out at the gym six months before their wedding all to fit into their dream dress. Six months after the wedding they have often gained back some, if not all of the weight.
Diets Have Rigid Rules
We don't follow rules we dislike unless the consequences are too painful. Once we achieve our ideal weight, it is difficult to continue to deny ourselves foods we love.
We Still Crave Foods We Love... Even if We "Can't" Hve Them
Our cravings don't stop, just because we temporarily stop eating foods we love. No one wants to be told they can't have their favorite foods ever again.
We Don't Have Time For 4 Hour Workouts Every Day
"The Biggest Loser" contestants work out 4-6 hours per day. No one has 28 hours a week to work out in the real world, We have careers, families and hobbies to pursue.
When Food Is Boring, We Are More Likely to Break the Rules
Eating foods we love is one of life's greatest pleasures! When we are bored with food options and stressed, we are more likely to make food choices that give us immediate gratification.
Sara Minges is the Founder of Playful Awareness (Life Coaching for Creatives) and Wonder Woman Rising (Empowerment and Anti-Diet Coaching for Women), based in Nashville, TN by way of Kansas City. She has 20+ experience as a life coach, 10+ years of experience as a therapist, and 13 years of experience as a health and wellness entrepreneur. She's worked with Lady Gaga's Foundation, National Alliance for Mental Illness, and has been featured in yahoo parenting and the KC Parent Magazine. She's also a global speaker and author of three full length collections of poetry. Her next book, How to Fight Barbie... and Win is forthcoming from Alien Buddha Press.
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