October 7th, 2010 
admin Thinking about dieting? It’s worth a re-think because there’s every chance that you’ll not only regain any lost weight – you’ll also stack on some extra kilos too!
Most people have been tempted into the latest diet fad, or bought the fat-free recipe book, or succumbed to magic shakes and bars that will see the pounds ‘melt away’ or taken pills to ‘evaporate’ excess weight. And all too often, these good intentions end up in tears. Last year, 55 million Americans went on diet, spending over $30 billion on weight loss products and services… now that’s a lot of tears!
Don’t stress if your diet hasn’t paid dividends. You’re one of many. Ninety five per cent of dieters don’t keep weight off for more than five years. .
In a wide ranging study from UCLA in which 31 long-term diet studies which followed people on diets for two to five years were analysed, the researchers found that diets don’t lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people – and in fact, they lead to increased weight gain.
Dieting essentially works on the premise that people need to take in fewer calories than they use up, and many diets encourage people to have minimal calorific intake. This can put major strain on many parts of the human body and can be a health risk. The research study concluded that many of the dieters in the study would have been better off if they hadn’t dieted at all.
OK, but what if people are carrying excess weight? We know the health risks associated with excess weight and obesity, and diet and dieting plays a huge role in how we deal with this. Fifty seven per cent of American adults are deemed to be overweight, with over 300 million adults in the world said to be obese. Weight is a weighty issue – and dieting can become part of a daily grind.
Some more quick points about dieting :-
· Dieting is about self-control, so when people don’t manage to keep their intentions, they can feel like a failure.
· Metabolism can be slowed down by a low calorie diet
· Risks associated with rapid weight loss and weight gain dieting include increase risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes
· Yo yo dieting is stressful for the body systems
· Constant dieting is not good for self-esteem and general mental wellbeing
· The most common way for people to go on a diet is on their own. Yes, there are programmes that encourage group participation and meetings, but the reality is that the calorie journey for most people is a singular one.
Changing a lifestyle is the only sustainable solution for long-term weight loss. Old fashioned as it may sound, an attitude of healthy eating and regular exercise are the only habits that will truly effect real weight loss. And of course, everything in moderation. Denial only leads to failure, creating negativity and a sense of shame.
But making a lifestyle change takes effort and determination, so sometimes it’s best to look for a helping hand. A personal life coach who will help you work out a healthy balance between exercise and diet (and that means eating properly, not necessarily eating less!) can be a real life-saver (literally!). A life coach will set goals, work out a programme for achieving those goals and work with you to maintain momentum, determination and commitment.
A leader in the Perth life coaching industry, Jennifer Atkins, says that weight loss can be an uninspiring goal and it is not surprising that people struggle with it – but achieving weight loss goals as part of a partnership is far more probable than if people go it alone. Her viewpoint is that people should engage in a simple, enjoyable, yet powerful steps to create a vital, physical life. Focusing on health is more important that weight loss, it supports.
"By achieving optimal health, people will see weight come off automatically," she added.
Posted in 
