{"id":1005,"date":"2021-03-08T13:44:09","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T20:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/?p=1005"},"modified":"2021-03-08T14:01:46","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T21:01:46","slug":"5-reasons-to-ditch-your-diet-and-5-things-to-try-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/5-reasons-to-ditch-your-diet-and-5-things-to-try-instead\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons to Ditch Your Diet and 5 Things to Try Instead"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The word diet has become a 4-letter word. We know diets don’t work, and yet we continue to throw money at diet companies in desperation to change our bodies to fit some societal mold. We say, “It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change.” Just read the fine print though…it’s a diet!<\/p>\n

Are you avoiding favorite foods? Counting calories or macros? Being active in ways that make you feel miserable? Checking the number on the scale? If yes, then it’s a diet. Adopting positive health patterns is a GREAT THING, but why does it have to be about the scale?<\/p>\n

It’s easy to believe that losing weight is a fix all for everything – just lose weight and all your troubles will melt away and a new and improved body image will emerge! Except that it never works like that.<\/p>\n

Pursuing weight loss may sound tempting, because, let’s face it – the world is harsh towards people’s bodies. But, I’m here to tell you that permanent weight loss is elusive for most. And, the stress of trying to lose weight is replaced with the stress of trying to maintain that weight…which researchers have found doesn’t stay off for most people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What if I told you that it\u2019s possible to feel good in your own skin without having to restrict the foods you love most? Here are 5 reasons to ditch your diet and 5 things to try instead:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

5 Reasons to Ditch Your Diet<\/b><\/h2>\n

1. The pursuit of weight loss is associated with weight-regain.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Unless you’re planning to start one yourself, the word “diet” makes most people cringe. Why? Calorie counting, skipping meals, eliminating dessert, and frequent weighing are all a part of dieting, so of course they cringe!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All of these behaviors make going on a diet something worth dreading, but did you know that’s also why they don’t work? Depravation isn\u2019t sustainable. These behaviors are actually counterproductive to weight management and can lead to weight gain in the long-term!<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Dieting programs us to feel ashamed of our bodies.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Many of us know how it feels to check the scale and be disappointed by the number we see. Even when pounds do come off, we have a tendency to continue to find things we don’t like about our bodies instead of appreciating the good things.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diet culture teaches us to focus only on the things we want to change. Put simply, we become programmed to body-shame ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Dieting may lead to disordered eating behaviors.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Habits such as obsessive calorie counting, nutrient restriction, and skipping meals all count as disordered eating behaviors, yet are encouraged for dieting. These habits can have long-term negative effects on both your physical and mental well-being.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Constantly worrying about what and when you are eating can harm emotional health.<\/span><\/h3>\n

We all know that the things we want the most are the things we’re not allowed to have, which becomes especially obvious when we are dieting. After a while, all someone on a diet can think about are the “bad” foods that they’re not allowing themselves to have.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, the desperation for these “bad” foods results in a binge, resulting in feelings of shame and being out of control.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Stress that comes with dieting can harm physical health.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Chemicals released when the body is stressed, such as cortisol, encourage inflammation in the body. Long-term exposure to these chemicals can have some serious negative effects on the body including depression and heart disease!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, so I\u2019m not supposed to diet. Got it. What do I do instead?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

5 Things to Try Instead<\/b><\/h2>\n

1. Make a list of all the amazing things your body does for you.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Are you thankful that your body allows you to dance to your favorite song? That it gets you to class and back? Write down everything your body does for you and read that list so you can focus on the incredible things your body can do instead of how it looks!<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Practice catching yourself in the act of thinking negatively about your body and replace those thoughts with positive ones!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It can be something your body does for you or a body part that you like — just replace that negative thought with something positive! You’d be amazed how much of a difference it can make!<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Get moving.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Find an activity you enjoy and move your body.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether it’s going to a class offered by NAU’s Group Fitness program, dancing around your room, or going on a walk with your best friend (canine or human), getting your body moving releases feel-good chemicals that boost your mood and improve your body image, even if your body doesn’t change!<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s important to think about your motivations with this one; if you’re doing it to lose weight, it may not be as much fun!<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Find more important reasons to change what or how you’re eating.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Do you feel bloated and gross after eating? Are you still hungry after meals? Do you spend all morning half asleep after skipping breakfast? Making small and sustainable changes to what, how, and when you’re eating can make a big difference in your daily life, even if your weight doesn’t change!<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Ditch the scale.<\/span><\/h3>\n

The scale can be a physical reminder of your insecurities. The easiest way to remove that reminder from your life would be to get rid of it! If that seems too intimidating, try storing it in a hard-to-reach cabinet where you can’t see it. Putting the scale away is a simple way to lessen the stress that comes with wanting to lose weight!<\/span><\/p>\n

And remember: You are more than a number. The number on that scale does not define you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Practicing body positivity can lead to sustainable long-term habits that make you feel more confident in your body and improve your relationship with food.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re looking for other NAU students who are all about pursuing positive health patterns while ditching the scale, join the NAU Body Positivity club. Follow them on Instagram @naubodypositivity2.0<\/a><\/p>\n\n

\n Samantha Fortner, UCAN Health Coach<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The word diet has become a 4-letter word. We know diets don’t work, and yet we continue to throw money at diet companies in desperation to change our bodies to fit some societal mold. We say, “It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change.” Just read the fine print though…it’s a diet! Are you avoiding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1005"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1011,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005\/revisions\/1011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}