Ditching Dieting

1
Ditching Dieting

• Reba Sloan, MPH, LRD,FAED
• Nutrition Therapist

Dieting that causes excessive loss of weight is
beset with difficulties Hippocrates 400 B.C.
2
Why Do People Diet?

• To chase an artificial standard
• Because everyone else is dieting
• False promises are tempting
• They believe weight loss is a cure for poor
  self/body esteem
• In pursuit of the perfect diet
• To distract themselves from other issues
• It is an effort to improve themselves

3
Why dont diets work?

• The body compensates for dietary restriction
• Restriction of certain foods can promote an
  obsession with eating those foods
• The mind perceives caloric restriction as a
  famine
• Each body has a weight or size that it fights to
  maintain the set point theory of weight
  management

4
Why dont diets work?

• Diets are finish line driven
• They set up people with the guilt response
• Diets are not real life
• Our relationship with food is complicated
• We have taste buds!
• They are based on faulty logic and science
• Diets can be dangerous

5
If not diets then what?

• Learn about your own relationship to food
• Work on connecting with your hunger/satisfied
  signals
• Go for balance, moderation and variety
• Get moving
• Dont use the bull dozer approach try the
  hammer and chisel!
• NO GUILT eating is not a moral or legal issue!

6
If not diets then what?

• Be reasonable with your goals
• Accept weight/size standards that are
  appropriate, reasonable and real for YOU
• Focus on health and fitness not thinness
• Confront the issues that may be increasing your
  desire to diet and weight obsess
• Know nutrition truth from fiction

7
Where Do I Go From Here?

• Take an inventory of thought distortions that
  might be barriers to non-diet approach
• Love and appreciate the body you have
• Determine your nutritional strengths and
  weaknesses
• Find an activity that you can commit to on a
  nearly daily basis
• Establish 2 or 3 challenging yet achievable
  goals (not weight related!)