To Diet or Not to Diet

Definition of diet

noun

food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health:Milk is a wholesome article of diet.

a particular selection of food, especially as designed or prescribed to improve a person's physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease:a diet low in sugar.

such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight:No pie for me, I'm on a diet.

the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group:The native diet consists of fish and fruit.

food or feed habitually eaten or provided:The rabbits were fed a diet of carrots and lettuce.

anything that is habitually provided or partaken of:Television has given us a steady diet of game shows and soap operas.

verb (used with object), di·et·ed, di·et·ing.

to regulate the food of, especially in order to improve the physical condition.

to feed.

verb (used without object), di·et·ed, di·et·ing.

to select or limit the food one eats to improve one's physical condition or to lose weight:I've dieted all month and lost only one pound.

to eat or feed according to the requirements of a diet.

 *This definition is sourced from: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/diet 

There are a lot of definitions for the word diet.

It is our human nature to want the quickest and most efficient path possible. For example, if you live in Florida and have a vacation planned to go to Disney World via a car, you probably don’t plan your route to get there by driving up through Georgia across to Alabama and back down to Florida. You probably find the fastest and straightest route via the interstate. However, if you live 4 hours away it will take you 4 hours to get there, it could possibly even take longer if there are traffic delays, if you have car trouble, or if there are inclement weather conditions. Yes, you can travel faster than the posted speed limit to try to reduce the time it takes to get there but this is only sustainable until you are pulled over by law enforcement.

Fad diets can be thought of like a speeding driver. Fad diets are created to try to lose weight the fastest most efficient way possible. However, are they sustainable? Our bodies need proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to function effectively. If you eliminate one of these macronutrients for a long period of time it can potentially cause problems in our bodies. For example, diets that restrict or eliminate carbohydrates can help initially with rapid weight loss, however healthy carbohydrates help to fuel our body’s many metabolic functions. If our bodies are starved of carbohydrates for an extended period of time, this can cause stress in our bodies function processes and can lead to potential problems arising.

Mentally, it can also be a struggle to maintain restrictive or elimination diets which can cause stress, demotivation, and disappointment when we are unable to uphold the diets. Restrictive or elimination diets can cause our brains to feel starved of nutrition or the enjoyment of certain foods which can lead to binging on those foods in surplus amounts leading to gaining the weight back that was lost during the diet or possibly even more.

Calories are made up of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates all nutrients that our bodies need to function. Anytime we eat proteins, fats, or carbohydrates in excess of what our bodies need, our bodies will turn them into stored fat. Hence consuming excess calories of what our bodies need leads to our bodies storing it as fat which leads to weight gain. In order to not gain weight, we must burn off the same number of calories as we consume. In order to lose weight, we must burn off more calories than we are consuming. Weight loss is a process, like the 4-hour drive to Disney World. To lose weight in the healthiest way possible we should not lose more than 2lbs per week. Things can come up in our lives that can make the process a little longer (like the drive to Florida), illness, injury, hormones, or stress, but if we keep working towards a calorie deficit it is possible to lose weight.  

A good “diet” to follow is a diet of moderation and portion control, paying attention to serving sizes, eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods, eating more protein, and reducing the number of fats and carbohydrates consumed. (Note – this sentence says reducing, not eliminating). Eating slowly and avoiding distractions (TV) while eating can help with reducing the amount of food consumed. This can be considered the most sustainable diet because the body is not starved of any nutrients that it needs to function, and we are still able to consume foods that we enjoy. A few simple new habits can be created that can lead to a noticeable difference in weight and overall health. For example, the American diet often consists of very large portions of food and often large amounts of carbohydrates. Eating steamed broccoli with a burger instead of fries can reduce the number of calories consumed as broccoli is a low-calorie food and the bun on the burger and fries are both carbohydrates. Eating more frequent small meals/snacks throughout the day can help with feeling more satiated and reduce the number of calories consumed during standard mealtimes (breakfast, lunch, dinner) since it’s less likely that the feeling of ‘being starved’ will occur.

This isn’t to say that fad diets are bad or don’t work, as they do work for some people and they can be helpful for people to kick-start their weight loss. Each body is different and what works for each individual is different. The important things to consider with fad diets are: is it sustainable for you? If you plan to be on the diet for a set period of time, do you have a plan for sustaining after that time frame is finished? Will you still find enjoyment in eating while on this diet or could it potentially cause stress, demotivation, or depression? Be sure to consult with your doctor to discuss if it could cause any potential health problems for you and ask if you can be monitored during the diet to ensure it is not causing anything to go awry. Your doctor can always refer you to a dietician for more guidance with diets and nutrition.