5 Reasons Why You Want to Ditch Your Diet

Dieting is a billion dollar industry causing millions of people to feel disappointed and unhappy about their bodies and their lives. A clever seductress, diets promise followers a happier, more joy-filled life as a result of dieting. !

Pop culture, tv and radio commercials, glossy magazine pages and Instagram posts tell us we must lose weight or have a perfect body, in order to be worthy of love, connection and belonging, promising a results-driven approach to losing our muffin top or beer gut and finding everlasting happiness.

Diets encourage us to care more about the opinions of others and transforming our bodies, instead of looking inside ourselves and creating healthy life habits. I'll be honest, I love how I feel after I leave the hair or nail salon.

Adults often rush out to buy the latest dieting book, believing this time, this diet will give us the results they want. They often get caught up in the excitement and possibility of having the body they want, without thinking about what they are willing to give up in order to get the results they want.

Most people become overweight or obese because they have poor food habits, an unhealthy relationship with food, or have difficulty managing stress appropriately. Stress interferes with our ability to listen to our bodies and recognize when we are hungry or full.

Ever open a full bag of potato chips while watching a movie and eat the entire bag without realizing it? Yep... I thought so!

Diets of Denial

Diets are based on the premise of denial. Deny yourself foods you really love because you have been told they are "bad" for you. Carbs, pasta, ice cream, potato chips, hot wings, you name it. Someone, somewhere has likely told you the food you love most is bad for you. Stop listening to them!

Foods are not good or bad, they just have different levels of nutritional value. If we ate the foods we love in moderation (not every day) and our digestive systems were working properly, there should be no concern about gaining weight.

Trouble is, we are often not good at eating foods we love in moderation. Why? Because we have been told we can't have them, so when we are able to enjoy them, we often overindulge. Or we don't pay attention to when we are full, because we don't want the good feelings we experience when we eat foods we love to end.

Here are 5 reasons you may want to ditch your diet:

Most people gain back the weight, post diet, regardless of the type of diet.
Diets have expiration dates.
Diets restrict/eliminate foods you love. This is not sustainable long term.
Diets make us irritable and often cause mood swings.
Skinnier bodies do not make us happier. Happiness comes from liking who you are.

A New Way of Eating

Whereas dieting often restricts carbs and foods we need, intuitive eating gives you permission to eat anything you want when you are hungry and stop eating when you are full. Too many times, emotional eaters are experiencing a disconnection with their bodies and are stressed out, throwing their hormones and hunger/full bodily responses out of whack. They are also often craving sweet, sugary foods and not moving enough to burn off the extra calories.

Intuitive Eating is about listening to what your body needs and wants and living a healthy lifestyle, including 8 hours per night of restful sleep, learning to soothe yourself, without food, when irritable or anxious, daily exercise, probiotics, supplements and vitamins your body needs and foods your gut likes.

No More Excuses

Intuitive Eating and Wellness Plans only work when we actively choose to integrate them into our daily lives. We stop making excuses for why we are not making healthy lifestyle choices and expecting different results. We don't use our children, hubbies/partners or work as an excuse not to exercise, learn and use stress management skills, or choose to eat when we are full.

We visualize success, put in the hard work and call on reinforcements when we feel stuck. Sometimes this means walking with a neighbor or a friend, hiring a wellness or life coach, meeting with a counselor or joining a social group that promotes healthy living. We take responsibility for our lives and get excited when we reach milestones. We ask ourselves tough questions and let go of limiting beliefs.

Why Italy Has A Lower Rate of Obesity

Italy's most well known food staples are pizza and pasta. However, Italians also eat vegetables, fish, beans and very little red meat. They also walk everywhere! In many Italian cities, streets are made out of cobblestones and traffic is limited. Therefore, walking, trains and bus are the primary forms of transportation. Italy is also known for its tourism, savoring delicious food, taking a siesta in the afternoon to spend time with their families and enjoying life. There's less focus on working extra hours and sacrificing family time to earn more money.

Diet of Denial

I never understood

the appeal of denial diets,

even as my sisters rushed

to fill their shopping carts

with the latest food fad.

I prefer the "goddess gorge",

to denying my carb cravings.

Maybe because I'm too good,

at breaking the rules and finding loopholes.

My Fight With Barbie

Barbie and I had a fight last night.

She is tired of being silent,

but thinks admiration ain't so bad.

Me, I am tired of being compared

to her too perfect, hourglass figure

impossible to replicate.

So I fall short, where she soars.

Still, I think I prefer to keep my voice.

Instead of being plastic, silenced.

-Sara Minges, author of Naked Toes (Chameleon Press, 2018) Want to read more articles like this? Subscribe Now! Follow us on social media via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Sara Minges, M..S., is an Anti-Diet Life Coach, former therapist, keynote speaker, and Founder of Wonder Woman Rising. She's also the creator of The Goddess Plan, an anti-diet, self-worth program for teen girls and women. She's also a 3x author and her latest book, How to Fight Barbie... and Win is forthcoming in 2023 from Alien Buddha Press.