Weight loss: why drastic dieting doesn't work...

Each week we'll be delving deeper into the deluded world of dieting in order to highlight why diets and detoxes don't work, and fads fail to fight the flab - starting with drastic dieting...

 What: whether it's investing in an ice-cream cleanse (yes, this is a thing!) or following a fasting fad, drastic dieting is a core culprit responsible for super sizing the silhouettes of dieters who are desperate to drop a dress size - fast!

Why it doesn't work: it deprives and/or dictates drastic change.
Although it may be tempting to overhaul our unhealthy habits overnight, drastic dietary changes are not only renowned for being met by rebellion - this is partly due to dietary dictation i.e.our diet dictates what, when and how much we eat, but predominantly due to dieting deprivation e.g.our favoured foods (or food in general!) are forbidden - but they also frequently fail to promote a sense of psychological and/or physiological satiety, be it because they force us to feast on 'healthy' foods and fluids that we dislike, or because they suddenly cut our overall caloric consumption to an unsustainable amount - the latter often occurring as a result of the elimination of an essential food group/s e.g.carbohydrates, and/or solid food sources from our daily diet.

 Swap for: simple and sustainable dietary changes.
Instead of raising the risk of resorting back to unhealthy eating habits by dedicating every ounce of energy to drastic dieting, focus on making simple food swaps such as substituting sugar for sweetener, opting for wholegrain (brown) bread, rice and pasta as opposed to refined (white) and making (and baking!) healthier versions of treats and takeaways. This will not only ensure that you adapt existing eating habits rather than eliminate them completely (an action that increases the likelihood of long-term weight loss by ensuring that you create subtle and sustainable change), but prevent you from piling on the pounds the second that you return to a realistic eating regime (and caloric consumption!).

 Final thought: although drastic dieting will inevitably see us drop a dress size (or two!), the slender silhouette that it shapes is short-lived - this is simply due to our failure to create a long-term  lifestyle change, and our inability to sustain such a sudden and substantial caloric deficit.

 www.twitter.com/celerylips

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