3 Big Reasons to Say No to Dieting on International No Diet Day

May 6th is International No Diet Day! It’s a celebration of body positivity, body diversity, and the freedom of food. Use this as an opportunity to break free from diet culture.

From talk shows to tabloid magazines, diet fads surround us every which way we turn. One diet says to eat all of the carbohydrates you want, while the other says to stay away from them. There are even diets promising weight loss in just three days if you participate in an intense water or juice fast, that will leave you feeling run down and exhausted by the end.

With all of this talk, the real science behind nutrition can be lost, leaving everyone confused as to what to do. If you’re looking for some reasons why ditching diets for good is the way to go, understand dieting does not work. Ultimately dieting does more harm than good.

3 Reasons Why Dieting Does Not Work

While all of these diets have different rules and make various promises, they all have one thing in common, they don’t work. Despite what you see on television or in the advertisements, in the long run, diets are empty promises. Here are the three big reasons why dieting doesn’t work:

Restriction of how much you eat or what foods you eat impacts the proper nutrition your body craves. When you cut out certain foods your body depends on for survival, such as carbohydrates, you are depriving yourself of nutrients. Not only that, the more you restrict, the more likely you are to binge on foods and overeat.

Stress from dieting and not seeing the results you hoped for can affect your mental well-being. This stress can impact your eating even further, interrupt your sleep, and leave you feeling defeated.

Exercising to the point of exhaustion or pain will not lead to the long-term weight loss you are trying to achieve. Exerting yourself physically while restricting the amount of food you’re eating is a recipe for disaster.

4 Tips for Healthy Eating:

Now that we have established why diets don’t work, what does work? Listening to and trusting your body to guide your food choices will leave you feeling satisfied and empowered. Keep reading to learn some beginner tips to embracing healthy eating in a way that works for YOU.

Practice mindful eating by placing your fork down on the table in between bites, pace yourself, and savor the flavors in the foods you enjoy.

Be forgiving towards yourself. Talk to yourself the same way you would your best friend or a young child. It’s okay if one day you are very hungry and the next not much at all. Practice a nonjudgmental approach with yourself when it comes to food.

Exercise with kindness. Physical activity is important and offers many health benefits. Try to move for 30 minutes a day through an activity you enjoy. Understand when your body has had enough and take the time to rest when you need to.

Consult a registered dietitian who is also a certified intuitive eating counselor if you are in need of further support or are interested in healing your relationship with food even further. In my practice, I use the principles of intuitive eating to help my clients trust their bodies to guide their food choices. Feel free to contact my office if this sounds like something you are interested in.

When reading this information and these tips, keep in mind there isn’t a magic solution or a strategy that works for everyone. Take what works for you and leave the rest behind. Your body, your mind, and your well-being are the top priority. Embrace yourself with love.

Your Turn to Take Action: How will you celebrate International No Diet Day? Let me know in the comments below!