How Dieting Makes You Fat
How many “diets” have you tried over the years? Maybe the Zone, Atkins, Master Cleanse, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Slim Fast, Biggest Loser, Isagenix, HCG, Low Carb, Vegan, Mediterranean, Raw, Intermittent Fasting, Ketogenic, Whole30, Paleo…the list goes on!
And let me guess, you found it hard to stick to one for very long. You lost some weight,but gained it right back- or hit a plateau, and your energy still bottomed out.
Sound about right?
That’s because dieting doesn’t work and it actually makes you fat.
I used to diet A LOT. Every time I stopped, I gained weight. I also constantly craved things I couldn’t have, dragged my feet all day long from low energy and was borderline adopting a compulsive disorder from counting everything I ate and every bit I burned.
I’ll never forget my first fitness show that I competed in. Oh the lengths I went through to get ultra lean – eating only 1,200 calories a day and working out for hours. Immediately after the show was over I went straight to a restaurant and ate my weight in really bad food. This continued on for weeks because I had deprived myself for so long preparing for the show. Before I knew it, I had gained all the weight back AND put on an extra 10 pounds.
There are many reason why dieting is a recipe for disaster, and deprivation is just one of them.
What most people don’t realize or see are the long-term affects that dieting has on their body. The rebound of weight is just a small sign of the chaos that it’s creating internally. Ever notice how each time it gets tougher and tougher to lose the weight?
Over time, this chronic internal chaos leads to serious destruction- making weight loss harder, causing changes in our hormones that negatively impact things like libido and PMS, and literally making us more susceptible to getting sick, developing allergies and other health issues.
It can take years to repair the damage done from frequent dieting.
In this week’s video I go into more detail about the damage that dieting creates and how answering two simple questions can help you find the diet that’s just right for you for the long run.
My motto is – your body is unique and, therefore, diet should be too.
The number one reason that dieting doesn’t work is because it’s a one-size-fits-all structure. You may resemble your family members in certain ways but even identical twins aren’t exactly the same.
From a genetic standpoint your body has unique needs for proteins, fats and carbs to balance blood sugar, to support weight loss and for limitless energy.
Balanced blood sugar is the essential element.
Let me explain in three simple steps what is happening when you eat…
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Your genetic makeup dictates how quickly you digest proteins, fats and carbs.
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Digesting foods releases sugar into the bloodstream for energy and hormone balance.
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Carbs are simple structures that digest faster than proteins and fats.
Genetically some people digest slower or faster than others. This is WHY EATING UNIQUE FOR YOUR BODY IS SO IMPORTANT. You need to find what works for you, not the “diet.”
Someone who digests carbs fast already, because of their genetic makeup, and eats a diet higher in carbs is constantly creating waves of sugar in their blood.
This roller coaster ride of blood sugar creates something called “Leptin Resistance.” Leptin is the hormone that triggers the body to lose weight or hold onto it. If Leptin is out of sorts, it also affects other hormones in charge of mood, stress management, libido and so on; It’s a domino effect.
Someone who digests carbs slowly already (as part of their makeup) and eats a diet too high in protein and fat, which slows down digestion and the release of sugar into the bloodstream even more, is thus creating a famine type of environment in their body. This also leads to Leptin Resistance or other hormone imbalances that contribute to weight gain, fatigue, etc.
When you diet on-and-off, or eat the wrong ratios for your body, over time this yo-yo effect on blood sugar creates an even greater resistance. Making it harder and harder to lose weight, depleting your energy, causing more fatigue and occurrences of new health issues that maybe you didn’t have before.
So you’re probably wondering- how do you know the right ratio of proteins, carbs and fats for your body?
I have two simple questions to help you solve this…
1) Do you feel hungry and the need to eat within at least 2 hours of waking up?
2) Could you go until almost lunch time without eating anything and have ample energy?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to question #1 you most likely need more protein, an ideal ratio for each of your meals is 45% protein, 35% carbs and 20% fats/oils. If you answered ‘Yes’ to questions #2 then you likely do better with more carbs, your ideal ratio for each meal is 20% protein, 70% carbs and 10% fats/oils. If you’re not sure, then you could be somewhere in between with an ideal ratio of 40% protein, 50% carbs and 10% fats/oils.
It’s that simple. Once you eat the right ratios, your blood sugar will be balanced making weight loss possible with long-term results, and giving you more energy!
So ditch the dieting and start listening to how your body actually responds to food.
P.S. If you want to get more clear on the foods ratios that your unique body needs to lose weight and feel your best then click here to book a FREE Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me so I can help you discover what works best for you!
