Do you really need to diet to lose weight?
Do you really need to diet to lose weight? by Gerry O Doherty
Are you one of the many people out there who is unhappys with their weight? You've tried every new fangled diet going to no avail. Perhaps you've gone along to one of the various classes that are run nationwide, enticed by the before and after photographs of the annual award winning success story. Yet here you are reading this article conscious of the spare tyre or tyres and really wishing you were thinner. Do not despair, there is a way to permanently become the shape and size you want to be, and here is the amazing thing, it does NOT involve dieting!!
Humans have existed on this planet for thousands of years. It's hard to imagine a world where getting food literally entailed hunting and gathering, yet that's what humans have been doing most of the time we've been in existence. Our genes have this history programmed into them. Back when the Flintstones were for real, food was more often than not in short supply. The human body responded by going into survival mode, i.e. it slowed down the metabolism and began storing the little food that was consumed as fat. End of history lesson, back to the present.
What do most people think of doing when they want to lose weight? Dieting! This typically involves reducing the amount of food consumed, and replacing that intake with all sorts of magical potions and drinks. What does the human body do as a result? It thinks to itself 'dinosaur burgers must be in short supply, it's time to go into survival mode'! You may begin losing weight and all seems well for a while. What happens though when your eating patterns return to normal? The good old Freddy Flintstone gene kicks into action and sends out the message 'fill up boss, you never know when the dinosaurs will be in short supply again!' Hello spare tyre!
Newsflash - there's an easier way to become the shape and size you want to be. It's very simple - it doesn't involve dieting, it simply requires that you listen to your body.
Listen to your body and
1 Eat only when you are hungry
2 Eat slowly and consciously
3 Stop eating when you begin to feel full
Yes, that's it! Sounds too simple to be true? Well there's a billion dollar industry out there because we've all been convinced we need to follow such and such a diet, take such and such a supplement etc. If the above were true it could have scary consequences, some companies could start losing money!
Think about your body like a car, when it's running low in petrol you put more petrol in the car. When your body tells you it's hungry, you should eat, letting the body know that food isn't in short supply and there is no need to store it.
This really is the crux of weight management. I realise that adhering to it is easier said than done. When I work with clients for weight management I make it easier by stimulating their imagination - the powerhouse of the mind - using guided imagery. The same technique also helps overcome emotional eating - i.e. eating when you are happy, bored, nervous, sad, basically when you feel some sort of emotion. I also help them to create a new lifestyle which doesn't revolve around eating, and instead focuses on creating a more balanced and fulfiling lifestyle.
The second guideline, 'eating slowly and consciously', gives the body a chance to realise it is becoming full. Many of us do not concentrate on our food when eating, we watch television, we read, we chat etc. If we take our time to eat slowly and enjoy what we are eating, time to savour the flavour, we give our bodies a chance to send the message back it's getting full. Amazing eh, I'm suggesting you should enjoy food as part of becoming your goal size and shape, and I mean it!
When the petrol pump clicks you know it's time to stop putting petrol in. The third guideline suggests you do the same when you eat. A lot of us were brought up with the message 'don't waste food, what's left on your plate would feed the poor kids in Africa'. Did you ever see the remains of Sausages, Spuds and Beans being put into an envelope? No matter how much is left on your plate, STOP when you begin to feel pleasantly full.
I'm all in favour of eating a healthy balanced selection of food, the 'food pyramid' is an excellent example of this. I love exercising regularly and miss the endorphins when I don't. I recommend everyone does both as part of the lifestyle change I mentioned above.
So there you have it folks. Have I just brought a multi billion dollar industry to its knees? Not likely, too much has been invested convincing people they need to do the latest and greatest ever diet and advertising is an amazingly powerful tool. However if you are one of the many who has tried dieting and given up in despair, isn't it worth trying this simple approach?
This article was written by Gerry O Doherty an associate coach with Bright Future Coaching. Gerry practices coaching and hypnotherapy in Ireland.
