Let me start this off by being honest right up front. I think what passes for traditional dieting as a means to lose weight, i.e. simple calorie restriction, sucks. Big surprise, I know.
Sure, it can be effective in the short term. Don’t eat as much and yes, you will lose weight. In the long term though, you won’t keep it off. You’ll gain the fat back, often more than you lost.
Of course, every dieter thinks they’ll be different, that they’ll lose weight, keep it off for good, and live happily ever after with their six pack abs. Good luck with that.
I believe learning to eat right, in a healthy manner, with an emphasis on quality of food and variety of nutrients instead of an emphasis on calories, is the best method to long term weight loss and overall health. (If you missed it, you can read my very simple rules of healthy eating here.)
So, here’s how I see the battle of dieting vs. eating right:
People go on a diet because they have a negative image of themselves. I’m fat, I’m unattractive, I don’t like the way I look, etc. so I need to go on a diet.
People learn to eat right because they want to be healthy, they want to feel good.
Diets limit pleasure, are based on deprivation, and take away things that you enjoy. Face it, a calorie restricted diet is never lots of fun.
Eating right allows you to eat things you enjoy, and instead of deprivation is based on fulfillment. Fulfillment of your nutritional needs, fulfillment of your metabolic needs, your physical needs, and your taste and sensory needs when it comes to eating. Pretty much the exact opposite of going on a diet.
Dieting is a temporary set of actions that bring upon a temporary set of results.
Eating right is long term lifestyle that provides for long term health and fitness.
I’m pretty sure we can agree that eating right is simply the right thing to do.
Dieting generally isn’t the right thing to do. In fact dieting is basically eating wrong for a short period of time to achieve a result which will go away shortly after the diet is abandoned.
Dieting is a negative experience. Learning to eat right is a positive experience, both from a physical and mental standpoint.
Just some stuff to keep in mind next time you think about going on a diet.
~Dave
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(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)About the Author
Dave Soucy is a coach, trainer, motivator, husband, dad, and former fat guy. His goal is to teach as many people as possible how to achieve a life of health, fitness, and wellness through simply eating right and exercising. Click here to learn more about Dave.
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