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SALT LAKE CITY — Does it feel like there’s always someone you know who is starting a new diet with promises of weight loss and happiness?
There’s good reason for that. The weight loss industry raked in over $72 billion in 2018.
If you're considering starting counting calories or following a strict meal plan, here are five questions you should ask yourself first.
1. Is it sustainable and realistic?
This is a big one. What will this diet look like in the long-term for you? What will you do after the "diet" is over? If you don’t see yourself sticking to this diet for the rest of your life, it may not be the diet for you.
The reason being that once the 21 days, 30 days or even 80 days of the diet are over, you’re likely to return to previous eating patterns. You might want to eat all the foods you restricted and missed out on during the diet and end up bingeing.
A diet with a strict meal plan also doesn’t teach you how to choose foods on your own or in different social situations. Everything you eat is dictated by the diet plan.
A realistic diet is one that teaches you sustainable lifestyle changes and you could see yourself following the rest of your life. The best eating pattern for you is one that incorporates your favorite foods and shows you how to follow a balanced eating pattern within your overall lifestyle.
2. Does it cut out major food groups or nutrients from your diet?
The problem with this is when you cut out entire food groups, there will likely be gaps in your nutrition.
Before embarking on a diet that excludes one or more food groups it is important to do your research. Find out what nutrients might be missing in your diet if you’re not eating foods that were previously providing your body with important nutrition. Then find other ways you can incorporate them in your diet.
For example, a vegan diet is likely to be deficient in vitamin B12, as this nutrient is found mainly in foods of animal origin. However, vegans may be able to incorporate vitamin B12 in their diet by eating fortified foods or taking a B12 supplement.
In my experience as a dietitian, many people jump on the bandwagon of a popular diet without doing their research first. People cut out whichever food group(s) the diet regimen prescribes and don't replace those vital nutrients with other foods or supplements. This can be detrimental to health, especially if it continues on a long-term basis.
What nutrition experts wished you knew about dieting
If you’re ever tempted to jump on a diet bandwagon, here’s a list of what top nutrition experts wish you knew about dieting.3. What is the final desired outcome?
What do you want to result from this diet? Is it a specific weight, certain pant size, or something else? If your only focus is on weight loss, then is your desired weight and timeline realistic? Setting realistic goals with slow and steady weight loss is best because you are more likely to keep it off.
If a certain weight is your goal, keep in mind what you’ll do and how you’ll feel if you don't reach that magical number on the scale. Remember the scale does not define you or your success as a person, and maybe that number you chose isn’t best for your body.
Look at all the positive changes you have made instead. Maybe that’s eating more vegetables, saving money from not drinking a soda every day, or finding a form of physical activity you enjoy doing. Any of those positive changes count as a win.
As an alternative to focusing on the scale, I encourage people to focus more on lifestyle outcomes. How about setting a goal of being able to play with your kids at the park without getting completely winded, completing in a 5K, cooking dinner at home more often, or just feeling better in your body.
Choose actionable habits to implement that will move you closer to your lifestyle goals.
4. Is it safe?
A lot of diets out there just plain aren’t safe, including those with very low-calorie diets, untested supplements, cutting out certain nutrients. Some have unpleasant side effects and can make you feel really crappy all in the pursuit of "health". If you have to suffer through a diet and feel crappy to lose a little weight, it is likely not worth it.
Before starting any new eating pattern it’s a good idea to see if there is any research or studies backing this diet. Find out what the science and experts say. Nutrition is still a relatively young field, but there are plenty of reliable sources you can look to for solid information on various diets.
A realistic diet is one that teaches you sustainable lifestyle changes and you could see yourself following the rest of your life.
–Brittany Poulson, registered dietitian
5. Will it make you happy?
There is no doubt that mental health takes a toll when overly restricting and analyzing every calorie that passes our lips. What might start as an innocent attempt to lose a little weight can turn into an obsession. It can become isolating and depressing at times.
As we obsess over everything we eat, it’s easy to feel shame, guilt and regret for eating a single food not allowed on the diet or going over your daily calorie allowance. This should never happen. Never feel guilty about eating something. Sure, there are days when you may have eaten too much and you didn’t feel your best afterward, but you can learn from that and move on. No need to be ashamed, feel guilty or turn to more restrictions in your diet because of food.
Embracing the fact that food does not hold a moral value (i.e. no food is "good" or "bad") can be pivotal in keeping good mental health when it comes to eating.
Also, keep in mind that being a smaller weight does not automatically equal happiness. If you are unhappy at a higher weight, I suggest really digging into what is truly making you unhappy before deciding a lower weight is your key to happiness.
What to do instead
After considering these five questions, if you don’t feel comfortable with any of your answers I suggest not going on the diet. Instead, I recommend exploring other options.
As humans, our bodies crave consistency. Going on and off diets only puts stress on our bodies, which can lead to weight gain and underlying inflammation.
Instead, find a balanced eating pattern that incorporates a variety of foods (including your favorite foods), is realistic, sustainable, safe and makes you happy. This will look different for everyone and might take some trial and error.
That’s OK. If you'd help exploring what eating pattern is best for you, find a dietitian to help guide you on your journey.
Editor’s Note: Anything in this article is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended, nor should it be interpreted, to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition; Any opinions, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of KSL. KSL does not endorse nor is it responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, information, or statement made in this article. KSL expressly disclaims all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of this article.
