Why You Should Stop Dieting

 In a 2008 survey conducted by the Dairy Farmers of Canada, it was noted that 73% of Canadians would like to lose weight. Their solution? Starting a diet. That is not a surprise, as the North American weight loss industry generates over 50 billion dollars each year. However, diets are not miracle cures and can actually have negative effects on one’s health. Fannie Dagenais, spokesperson for the weight action group Équilibre, spoke to us about the risks involved with dieting and provided us with useful tips on how to safely shed the pounds.
 

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Deficiencies are a common problem that stem from many diets, especially when they ban certain food groups. The consequences of a lack of vitamins and minerals include fatigue, hormone imbalance, digestive problems, and headaches. “What’s more, people never think that these symptoms could come from their diet,” explains Dagenais. She suggests looking back at your food intake from previous days the next time you incur one of these symptoms.

 

The yo-yo effect. Regaining weight once the diet is completed is fairly common. Since the body reduces its energy expenditures in order to survive on less food, once normal eating habits resume, even if they’re healthy, the body will not use up all the calories consumed and will save them in anticipation of the next diet. In the long run, a person who has gone through many diets often finds herself with a heavier weight than she originally began with.

Dehydration and muscle loss. “Be wary of diets that promise a huge weight loss in little time,” warns Dagenais. In such cases, the body loses a lot of water and muscle mass rather than fat. “To lose stored up fat, you must opt for a healthy and balanced eating plan in which weight loss doesn’t exceed one to two pounds per week.”

Poor relationship with food. A person who deprives herself of eating certain things can end up having a negative relationship with food. Eating becomes a constant preoccupation to the point where one no longer sees eating as a pleasure. Scientific studies done on people who dieted showed that once the diet was completed, they had a tendency to eat at a quicker pace than before and ate foods they originally were deprived of to satisfy themselves. This behaviour also reflects an unhealthy relationship with food.

Loss of self-esteem. Since diets have only proven to be successful in the long-run in but a few cases, a sense of failure can overwhelm women who regain the weight afterwards.

 

Dagenais explains that people always feel guilty and responsible for the poor results of their diet. “They blame themselves for lacking the willpower and motivation when they don’t follow through on a diet until the end. However, few people would be able to keep it up, since diets can be quite rigorous,” she adds.

Eating disorders. When eating right and losing weight become an obsession, serious eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia can arise. For a person who follows an extreme diet, their discomfort with food can actually lead them to isolate themselves, for fear of eating in the company of others.

- Avoid diets that ban a particular food group.

- Don’t deprive yourself of anything; simply adopt better eating habits.

- Eat more fruits and veggies.

- Listen to your body’s signals warning you when it is hungry or full.

Click here for a questionnaire to help you find out if your diet is effective and safe for your health! (Courtesy of Equilbre.ca)