Dieting.
Dieting restricts. Ex: Keto, restricts bread. Macro, restricts calories. Paleo, restricts processed food. Vegetarian- restricts meat.
All diets have one thing in common, restriction. If someone finds that the Keto diet worked for them, and they lost weight it is most likely due to the restriction of calories. KETO is not the “magic” behind the weight-loss. One can not eat 5000 plus calories, not exercise, and lose weight, all because none of those calories were carbs. The Keto diet inadvertently restricts calories through cutting carbs. Do you see what I’m getting at? Calories. Diets find a way to help people eat less calories. Less calories = lose weight.
***keep reading, I’m not saying we should count calories just making a point.
“The thing about restricting what, when, how or how much a person can eat is that it always indirectly ends up restricting the total number of calories that they eat. Everyone indirectly convincing you to do things that indirectly cause you to eat fewer calories.” I could tell you to eat nothing but cereal for one week, call it the The Lucky Charm Diet. Will you lose weight? Yupp.
Because less calories in, and more calories burned equals weight loss. Its simple. Its science. And lets be honest, you’re not going to want to eat 20 bowls of cereal a day. This is indirectly leading one to eat less calories.
How did Kevin Smith lose 17 Ibs on the potato diet? Through only eating potatoes. AKA: through restricting all other foods, eating less calories.
Did Kevin keep his weight off? No. Will you keep your weight off on my Cereal diet? No. It’s fine though, you’re not a loser, because 95% of diets fail.
Why?
Why is it so hard to merely eat LESS calories than we burn and keep the weight OFF? We KNOW the science. Why can’t humans just simply follow science?
Answer: Hormones.
Dieting is stressful. Dieting consumes and fixates the mind on the very thing we can not have. Whether it be bread, cake, a granola bar, candy…. Wave a toy in front a toddler and say, “you can’t have this.” What is that toddler going to be thinking about? Same as humans. DON’T PICTURE AN ELEPHANT DANCING. What are you thinking about? Probably an elephant dancing. Wild guess 😉
Deprivation, restriction, not honoring your bodies individual needs equals, not happy hormones.
“Calories matter, but hormones matter more. Calories don’t control metabolism —hormones do. Calories don’t determine what type of weight you will lose and where you may lose it from — hormones do. Calories have little influence over hunger, cravings, energy and mood — but hormones do.”
Intuitive Eating puts hormones first, and naturally the calories second. The irony about Intuitive Eating… is that when one is not focused on, “what one should and should not restrict” in regards to food, but rather focuses on how one feels, 3 things happen:
- You may inadvertently end up consuming less calories.
- You are not stressed, hormones are finally put first.
Intuitive Eating helped me create, “The CARA diet.” A diet that works for Cara. Her needs, her energy levels, her exercise routine, her stress, her schedule, her taste buds, her cravings, her hormone levels. I highly encourage everyone to dive in to the book Intuitive Eating. It will help you find YOUR diet, and what works for you.
If one is trying intuitive Eating, and it is still stressing them out, it’s probably because they are still very fixed on the appearance of their body and their weight and can not get past the first step of Intuitive Eating. I highly recommend Intuitive Eating. Whether you are ready to give up your diet or not. All principles can only benefit you and help you find, YOUR diet.
Hormones > Calories
thehealthylifeisgood 