Dieting is an established part of modern culture. It is seemingly assumed by the masses that a thinner shape is preferably; that less is definitely preferable to more; and that eating “bad” foods is always a cause for guilt.
The reality is that dieting is an often incredibly damaging industry, not least for the problematic ideals it places in front of us. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to shed a few pounds, the way in which you go about it — and how your mental health can be compromised during this time — is an important aspect to consider.
If you’re planning an overhaul of your diet with the aim of losing weight, here are four things you need to keep in mind…
weekly diet printable
Losing weight is hard…
Many people love to state that losing weight is easy; it’s just a matter of arithmetic, surely? If you burn more calories than you consume, then you’ll lose weight… won’t you?
Not necessarily; the human body just doesn’t work that simplistically. The “eat less, move more” mantra has been being pushed for three decades now, but the overall weight of the population has gone up during this time. In fact, “eat less, move more” has been outright named as a myth in some circles, so if you follow this strategy and it doesn’t work for you, you’re not the problem.
… and losing weight is especially hard for women
Women have more body fat than men, and the hormonal fluctuations every menstruating woman goes through makes weight loss incredibly difficult. Female hormones have a huge influence on your ability to lose weight, your base metabolic rate, and your appetite. So if you’re not losing weight as quickly as you thought you would, you’re not necessarily doing something wrong or “failing” at your diet, you’re just being governed by the oddities of female hormones.
The truth is, there’s not much you can do to counteract these issues; your hormones are your hormones, and they will change throughout the month. One option is weight loss surgery, which can help you override the higher appetite levels you’ll experience during certain times in the month, so this is worth considering if you are particularly sensitive to hormonal changes.
Weight loss isn’t linear
If you attend a weight loss class, they will weigh you on a regular basis. This seems like a sensible way of plotting your weight loss, but it really isn’t. Weight loss isn’t linear; some days you will gain weight, some days you will lose weight. Instead, your weight should be plotted to show an overall downward trend; expecting a consistent 2lb lost per week is asking a living, breathing organism to be far too consistent!
In conclusion
If you want to shed a few pounds for health or aesthetic reasons, then go for it— just remember to keep the above in mind, so your mental health, self-esteem, and self-worth is preserved throughout the process.
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