Dieting is not the solution

 

 

After a few excesses in our diet, which are usually due to vacation periods, holidays or family celebrations, we usually become aware of the need to change things.

The return to routine encourages that change of mentality that induces us to lose the extra kilos that we have gained during the holidays and to try to improve our habits and our health.

But we usually make a mistake, facing said change in a temporary, fleeting, provisional way, as soon as another vacation period arrives or any event that makes us break with our routine, we go back to the same thing.

Very frequently we fall into the error of starting a “diet”, or what is the same, a series of food restrictions for a certain time.

The RAE defines Diet as “Regime that is ordered to be observed by the sick or convalescent in eating and drinking, and by extension, this food and drink “, another of its most common definitions reads as follows: “Control or regulation of the quantity and type of food that a person or animal eats, generally for a specific purpose “.

If we look for a synonym for diet in the dictionary, what word do we find? regime.

 

The concept “diet” has negative connotations, it is associated with the concepts of regime and restriction.

 

Therefore, the concept of diet is associated to restriction, prohibition and control. In short, to negative concepts, things that we dislike and make us feel more bad than good.

Why do I make this reflection? Very simple, nutritionists and dieticians cannot pretend, or we cannot pretend (very soon I will officially be one of them), that people assume the idea of ​​​​going on a diet, understanding the concept of diet in the terms described above (regime and restriction), for a long period of time.

Those who endure said “regime” until they achieve their goal will have to fight afterwards to avoid going back to their old ways, a task that can end up being worse than the diet itself.

Therefore, that is not the way!.

 

Adding prohibitions and restrictions to our daily lives can lead to stress that leads to abandonment.

 

You can’t ask anyone to submit to restrictive rules for a long time, whether in the field of nutrition or any other (the same usually happens with regard to physical exercise), you can’t assume that someone is going to endure one prohibition after another, added to this daily life, at work, at home, with the family… with this modus operandi failure is almost guaranteed.

So… what is the solution? The solution is much easier than it seems, and I can tell you in advance that it has nothing to do with shakes, fat-burning medications, miracle products or “detox” foods.

It may be difficult at first, but once you get past the first phase, everything will go smoothly. An adaptation period is needed, getting used to the new, I assure you that it can be done.

 

 

How to face changes:

Let’s take it one step at a time, when a person needs to make a change in their diet it is because something is not right, the reasons can be very varied, from being overweight, which only causes psychological problems for the patient due to pressure social or current beauty standards, to a serious health problem that requires major changes to improve its condition and reverse or eliminate potential risks.

 

Nutritional education is essential, without information and knowledge a problem cannot be addressed, it is necessary to raise awareness.

 

In all cases, what is required is a CHANGE, a change in habits and a change of attitude on the part of the patient, consequently this change will entail a change in the diet, understood as the set of foods that an individual eats.

It will be essential to have a series of tools that will facilitate the process, the first thing is nutritional education, giving the interested person clear and simple information about the different food groups and how the consumption of each of them affects our body.

You have to make a plan and provide the recipessuitable for preparing healthy, yet tasty dishes.

Furthermore, a series of healthy hygiene and health habits should be recommended to the patient and, of course, a favorable environment should be provided.

 

Physical exercise will help us change our eating habits, keep us busy and clear our minds.

 

Points to be discussed:

• Nutritional education: This involves providing information about the different food groups and what needs we have for each of them, always taking into account the patient’s circumstances, possible illnesses, physical activity, habits.

 

• Specific proposals: Guide the patient with menus and recipes, but also offer them tricks to overcome those moments of anxiety that can easily lead to disaster, and may even cause them to abandon the plan.

 

• Hygiene and health habits: Eliminate tobacco, alcohol, and other harmful habits. Drink water, avoiding soft drinks and juices. Exercise and keep busy.

 

• Family environment: Analyze the patient’s circumstances and their environment, and offer them information. It is absolutely necessary that the environment adapts to the new circumstances and becomes involved in the change. When we face changes in our lives, we feel more vulnerable and need support, your family and friends are there to help you.

 

Adopting changes is always difficult, there are tricks to make the adaptation more bearable.

 

Let’s not fool ourselves, when putting all these measures into practice it will be necessary to distinguish different stages, at first it will be harder because changes are never easy, but after this first adaptation period, everything will be more comfortable and will begin to become part of your normality.

 

 

And more specifically:

• Reduce and eliminate harmful habits: smoking, alcoholism, sedentary lifestyle, stress, you will have to work on each one of them to end up eliminating them, essential to improve your health.
• Physical exercise: change your habits and go out for a walk, join a gym, start some physical activity in a group, it is important to do it with someone to be more motivated, if we do it alone, it will be easier to look for excuses and end up throwing the towel.
• Ideas for healthy snacks: Especially at the beginning, it will be very difficult to overcome moments of anxiety (exercising, going for a walk, and keeping busy at all times play a key role here).
• Avoid soft drinks, sugary drinks, juices, and alcohol: Create the habit of drinking water and infusions instead.
• Promote a favorable environment: Both family and friends should also be informed of the changes that are taking place and do their best to collaborate. Ideally, they should also be involved in the new habits.
• Healthy recipes appropriate to the patient’s needs: Provide the patient with a good list of healthy dishes, simple recipes that are not difficult and that are attractive. It’s about enjoying eating and having the necessary tools to avoid the temptation of junk food.
• Tricks to get through the worst moments of anxiety and stress: Healthy snacks, healthy infusions and drinks, fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, pickles, etc.

 

Avoiding tobacco, alcohol and excessive sugar consumption is essential to improve our health.

 

Therefore, it is not about giving someone a sheet with a boring diet and expecting them to follow it strictly, it is about influencing many more aspects of their life.

There are many attitudes and customs that we have acquired that directly influence our diet, our relationship with food is transversal, Food is present in every aspect of our lives. When we get together with friends, at family celebrations, at work meetings, we always eat and drink. It is also an easy resource toWhen we are depressed or stressed. If we are bored or anxious, what do we do? eat.

Just as we sometimes have toxic relationships with people, there is also a toxic relationship with food that affects our health, and as occurs in interpersonal relationships, it is important to identify it in order to be able to end it.

How we got to that point would be another topic to discuss; the possible paths that lead a person to that point are very varied; the important thing is to be able to identify the reasons in order to change things.

 

It is necessary to identify the reasons that lead us to a toxic relationship with food.

 

Difficulties to fight against every day when establishing these changes:

• The food industry: I have already mentioned many times that the food industry has interests very marked, their biggest business is in ultra-processed products, which have the highest profit margins. Don’t play their game and stop consuming them.

 

• The pharmaceutical industry: offers a multitude of products to help you lose weight with little effort, fat-burning pills, shakes, meal-replacement bars, etc. Forget about them, they’re useless, they just want them to make money at your expense.

 

• Advertising: it’s everywhere and seduces adults and children alike; regulation should be much stricter, especially when it comes to children.

 

• The stereotypes marked in today’s society, social pressure. To combat this, you must strengthen your self-esteem and realize that you will only feel accepted by others when you accept yourself. Leading a healthy life, playing sports and fostering friendship will help you a lot.

 

Women feel constant pressure to be perfect, let’s put an end to stereotypes, the important thing is health.

 

Conclusion:

If you have a health problem, want to lose weight or simply want to change your lifestyle to feel healthier, doing a DIET as we understand it may help you for a while, but it will not be the definitive solution.

To change things permanently, you have to change the whole set, what you eat, what you do and who you do it with, a profound change of attitude and mentality is necessary, you must involve your environment and only then you will achieve.

If you have any questions or would like to comment on this topic, please do not hesitate to send me a comment. In future posts, I will go into more depth on each of the steps to follow.

Good health! 😉

 

Below you can see healthy recipes that will help you change things:

• Healthy dish of chicken curry with quinoa and cauliflower.
• Bowl of lentils, vegetables and egg.
• Healthy dish with vegetables, salmon and poached egg.