WHY DIETING FAILS – PART II

In continuing the discussion from last week as to "Why Dieting Fails,” diabetes also comes into question with cyclical weight gain and loss. There are several studies that show a history of yo-yo dieting as an indicator of predicting type 2 diabetes. These studies were from adults who regained weight after 28 days of weight loss.

The issue is that the weight gain was mostly consistent with belly fat, which is more likely to lead to diabetes than fat stored in other areas of the body. And, depending on what you are eating that causes you to gain that weight back, you are going to be spiking your blood sugar a lot more.

And a high spike in blood sugar leads to a high spike in an insulin response. Not only is insulin a fat storage hormone, but increased insulin levels can be an early sign of diabetes. The studies that have been done on diabetes and weight cycling (or yo-yo dieting) show that those who lost and then gained back more weight than what existed before they dieted, were more likely to end up with diabetes.

Repetitive dieting has been associated with coronary artery disease, where the arteries to the heart become narrow. In fact, several studies showed that large variations in weight over time actually doubled the odds of death from heart disease. It should be noted that blood pressure is adversely affected by gaining and losing over and over, as well.

Losing weight can reverse fatty liver, improve your sleep, reduce your risk of cancer and offer many other benefits. You just need to learn how to incorporate healthy eating as a lifestyle. You have to come to terms with the fact that many of the foods we may love are either killing us or leading us to a poor quality of life.

It’s all about accepting the truth of what certain foods are doing to us and how that happens, understanding why we are allowing them to do so, and taking even small steps towards changing that damaging dynamic. It can be painful. You might even grieve the loss of certain foods, but that just goes to show you the power those foods have over you emotionally and chemically.

Once again, it’s all about body chemistry… it’s not a diet. Even getting rid of that word “diet” is a huge step in the right direction. It’s negative. It can be quite frustrating to put a lot of work into losing weight, only to gain it back again. It’s a super emotional and psychological heartache.

But you can’t allow yourself to feel defeated, guilty or hopeless. It’s not failure if you keep trying… if you just change one simple thing, commit to it, and then move onto the next thing, you’re still moving forward. That is what progress looks like.

Feed your mind properly, then you will view your new lifestyle change positively and be prepared for the ups and downs of a weight loss journey. If you’re counting on plain old willpower, you will be at a great disadvantage.

Don’t pull back when you are struggling either. We all have difficult days, weeks or even months, but it doesn’t have to be the end. Everyone struggles and everyone has a story. Don’t let your emotions isolate you, make you feel inadequate, embarrassed or like a failure to the point that you don’t end up reaching out to us. We don’t judge at all, and we never look at anyone negatively in any way. It’s a lifestyle change and a journey - you’re expected to have challenges!

You don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to learn to eat healthy as a way of life and kick dieting to the curb by making some permanent lifestyle changes that will help promote a healthy weight. You will feel better physically, mentally and emotionally and feel like you are back in control of your life.