“ Oh I can’t have that. I’m on a diet. – 99% of people on January 1st “
What do the New Year’s resolutions crowd in January and the “beach-ready” crowd in April have in common? These avid dieters are setting themselves up for failure by being on a diet that’s too restrictive. That may be why 2/3 of American dieters regain all the weight they lose within a year, and 97% gain it all back within five years.
Dieting Doesn’t Work. Period.
Dieting Doesn’t Work. Period.
Changing 100% of your food habits and sticking to bland cabbage soup for 8 weeks straight may help you shed some pounds short term, but it’s also a surefire way to gain all the weight back and develop a screwed up relationship with food.Look, I’m not the only one saying that dieting doesn’t work. Science does too:
- Studies show that most people end up GAINING weight when dieting
- Dieting is proven to increase stress and cortisol in your body, which increases your hunger (how ironic)
- The average cost of a weight loss diet is $85.79 a week, 58% more than the $54.44 that the average single American spends on food
- Up to 50% of women are on a diet at any given time
- Up to 90% of teenagers diet regularly
But the scariest statistic is that 35% of people who start by dieting occasionally become addicted to dieting.Just to highlight the ridicule of it all, let me sum it up in a single sentence…
as we speak, 50% of all women are on a diet that’s proven to cause weight gain, increase stress and cortisol levels, increase hunger and cost 58% more than healthy and sustainable eating habits.
Is this the definition of insanity? You tell me.
Why You NEED Treats
If you think having occasional treats shows a lack of willpower and dedication, gimme a break. This kind of extreme thinking and obsession about perfection is never healthy and sustainable – even in competitive bodybuilders or high performance athletes. The question you need to ask yourself is: Will this make much of a difference? Will having a treat meal once in a while screw up 100% of my results?
The answer is no, it won’t.
Aim to eat clean at least 90% of the time, and use the remaining 10% to eat foods you like and crave. It’s as simple as that. Still not convinced that you can have your treats and still lose weight? This should help you change your mind:
- One study determined that eating what you like induces a stronger decrease of "wanting" to eat
- One 2003 study at the University College in London found that subjects who ate chocolate only in the middle of a meal or just after were more successful at giving it up than those who ate it on an empty stomach
- A study of 98 female students at the University of Pennsylvania found that the more people try to restrict a food they like, the more they crave it
Also, remember that restricting calories for more than a day decreases your leptin levels – one of the most important fat burning hormones. Eating a high-carb, high-calorie meal (that’s comprised of your favorite treat foods) once in while will help you “reset” your leptin and fat loss.
Summary
--> Dieting and restriction don’t work – they are proven to make you gain weight and screw up your mind.
--> Having treat foods you like and crave 10% or less of the time is OK, and will keep you sane.
--> Having occasional treat foods will also reset your fat burning hormone leptin. How cool is that?
