Diets Don’t Work… Right?
You’ve probably heard it a million times… “diets don’t work.”
Oh really?
Problem is, unless that statement is presented in the correct context, you’d be right to assume there’s no point making any changes to your current eating habits… especially if the comment comes from a respected professional. But here’s the thing: in reality…
… just about every diet will work — to some degree. For the short term, anyhow. Think about it for a minute. You reduce your calories. You stop eating calorie-dense nutrient-deficient foods. You start eating fibrous, low calorie foods, plenty of lean protein PLUS you add in an exercise program. Even walking 20-30 minutes a day can make a huge difference. Slowly but surely, the weight comes off. Pretty elementary, right?
OK, then what’s with the “diets don’t work” thing?
Well, most “experts” correlate the word “diet” with borderline starvation, mammoth exercise sessions in the gym, extreme feats of deprivation — all requiring massive amounts of willpower. In the end, they assume, most of us will go back to sitting on the couch with our feet up, munching Doritos and watching reruns of “Friends.”
And the worst of it is… for the most part, they are correct.
So what the experts are really telling us is not that diets don’t work, it’s that they are not a practical long term solution. And, if you consider the typical diet, complete with its vastly reduced caloric intake, long periods of exercise and will power, it’s not suprising.
In my opinion, it’s almost necessary to invent a new word for diet — one that comes without all the negative connotations. One that doesn’t stir up visions of you gritting your teeth through one more set, or tossing and turning at night as you dream of raiding the fridge.
One that reflects the reality of sensible weight loss — a long term, practical solution — a lifestyle change, if you will.
Diets work in the short term. They don’t work in the long term. Only a sensible lifestyle change holds any real hope for success. So let’s throw “diet” and all the baggage that comes with it into the proverbial dumpster. We need a new word to replace it… any suggestions?
April 2, 2008
Actually, I’ve completely integrated the bodybuilding term “cutting phase” into my vocabulary. “Cutting” is less about weight loss than it is about fat loss; and the overriding priority is the preservation of strength and muscle. I think it’s superior to the word “diet” as it’s understood that “cutting” is part of a larger, ongoing process of optimizing your body composition. In other words, it’s part of a larger goal of continuous physical improvement…which you can’t have unless the nutrition and exercise principles are a permanent part of your lifestyle.