What is a diet? Can you really lose weight by going on a diet? How is their health? Why would someone want to go?
Almost everyone is asking these questions these days.
First of all, I usually tell people to avoid "diets," but I have to admit that in some situations and for some people, diets can help people lose weight. But first, let me explain a few things.
When people hear the word "diet" today, they don't know what it means. Most of the time, they think it always has to do with a special way of eating that is meant to help people lose weight. This hasn't always been the case. There was a time when the word just meant a list of what someone ate. Scholars used to talk about a tribe, nation, or cultural group's "diet," and they still do. Doctors would make a list of foods that were meant to do something other than help people lose weight, and the word would be used to describe that list. Even as a small child, I was put on one to figure out what food might have caused an allergy I had at the time.
Today, the word has come to mean a special list of foods you can or can't eat if you want to lose weight. Many of these have become almost magical, and many of them have their own groups of fans. Look at how far the Atkins and South Beach diets have spread in our culture.
Before Dr. Atkins and South Beach came along, I'm sure you remember exciting diets like those that were based on certain foods and almost guaranteed to help you lose weight. You could eat grapefruit or cabbage soup, or you could try the negative-calorie diet and see if it works as promised. Most of these have died out because of three main things:
- They had too high of hopes for themselves. How could you get cabbage soup on vacation or at a business lunch?
- People got tired of eating the same thing for every meal.
- They didn't work most of the time.
Some people may lose a little weight when they "go on a diet" for a short time, but dieting is not the answer to a long-term weight problem. If you are only a few pounds overweight and want to drop a few dress sizes by the wedding in two weeks, a diet might do the trick, and for that short time, you will probably be able to stick to it as long as you keep your goal in mind.
There are three bad things about a diet:
- It doesn't help keep people healthy and alive.
- The effects won't last or change your life.
- It could actually make you gain weight.
I've written more about these topics in other articles, so I'll just give a brief overview here.
Most people can't stick to a diet for many different reasons, and most diets can't be changed to fit a new way of eating, or a lifestyle change. Some people can't help being overweight because of things like their genes or family history that they can't change. But for everyone, at least some of what made them overweight was a result of the choices they made in life, and it is these choices that need to be changed for permanent weight loss to happen.
People can't get the nutrients they need for good health if they can't eat enough food or can't choose from a wide range of foods. This is what happens on the grapefruit or cabbage soup diets. Some people may have other health problems if they eat too much of certain foods or types of foods.
Our bodies were made to work and react in certain ways. This includes how they work and react when we change what we eat. One effect of a failed attempt is that the body may put on more weight than it lost, and it may continue to do so for a long time after the program is over.
True, permanent weight loss for health and fitness depends on three main things:
- A sensible diet
- Getting regular exercise
- Times to sleep
Diet if you have to, but know that you need to do more for your health and to lose weight in a way that lasts. One last point. If you do decide to go on a diet, please take a multivitamin every day to make up for the nutrients you will lose.
