Dieting or a Lifestyle?

Based on stories we read and our own and others' experiences, it is evident that so many peoples dieting histories begins in their early teens. What begins as ignorant, yet innocent attempts to lose a few pounds can and does spiral into years of yo-yo dieting and self-sabotaging behavior. Dieting habits are developed and these isolate one in many areas of life. This begins the war with food and self-image.

Over time, we can see that willpower alone to stick to a diet does not offer a permanent weight loss solution. The more we worry, the worse the situation seems to get and this often results to an escalation in weight when it is least needed, taking one to breaking point. Diets do little for enthusiasm and developing trust in oneself. But if one does not go on diet how do you lose the kilos?". These days, there is much talk following a lifestyle rather than going on a diet. A lifestyle encompasses body, mind and spirit and does not separate one from the other. It suggests living life as a whole human being and not focusing on what is missing, but rather on what we have. It really is true, we have just one body, and just one life. Right NOW we can decide to live it in a healthy and full the way or not.

Being doomed to a life of dieting is hardly appealing. Even if a "lifestyle" sounds too new age or airy fairy, it just might be worth a try. It could just change ones life. Why should food and health be different to any other area of ones life? Whether it be career, finances, relationships or spirituality, it is the consistent and constant willingness and effort to improve and be ones own personal best that helps an individual be successful. Mind, body and spirit respond in the same way. What we put in, we get out. Too much focus on one area of our life can only result in imbalance - hence weight issues, but if we focus on what we need to, when we need to and within empowering value systems ... we are bound to end up with empowering lifestyles. Lifestyles vs. dieting -- it might be worth a try.

I am Kim Knight, a dedicated and passionate weight loss and personal life coach. You can read more about my weight loss journey and my life at: http://www.bestweightlosscoach.ws, http://www.kimknightcoaching.com

Dieting to Death

It has been 15 years since I was diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa and I have been recovered for 12 years. To this day if I head for the washroom after a meal my mother feels the panic start to well up inside of her. Her first reaction to the news that her daughter was bulimic, like so many other mothers, was shock. This had been going on for 7 years and she never knew and she just couldn’t understand why.

Bulimia and Anorexia are eating disorders that affect girls primarily in their teens (but can start as young as 10 years old) to their early twenties. Although it is mostly girls that are affected approximately 10% are boys and this number continues to increase. Bulimia is the reoccurrence of binging and then purging. Binging is when a larger than normal amount of food is eaten in one sitting. It is like there is a total loss of control and a young girl can consume 3 times that of a grown man. Purging is when vomiting is self-induced after eating and often, excessive amounts of laxatives are used. Girls who are bulimic become very good at hiding it from everyone even their families, primarily by saving the binging and purging till alone. To people with bulimia their physical appearance has become the determining factor as to their worth as a person. The ability to binge and purge gives control to girls that have somewhere along the way lost it in their lives.

So as parents what should you look for? An abnormal occupation with weight, which will in turn lead to your daughter being preoccupied with dieting. With some bulimics there will not be a drastic weight loss, as with anorexia, however this is not always true. In the case of obesity it is unfortunately usually undetectable. I know that the clothes in my closet ranged in size from 5 to 12. If you have an 11 year old girl who says she needs to go on a diet, that is a good sign that there is trouble. Dieting can be the most dangerous enemy that your daughter ever faces.

If she decides to become a vegetarian but also gives up cake and cookie or eliminates dairy from her diet but also eliminates all high calorie foods; if she starts to constantly make excuses as to why she can’t eat, like she is running late or ate with a friend; if she also starts to withdraw and seems depressed a lot of the time and spends more and more time alone. These are all very strong signs of an eating disorder.

The one thing that parents need to realize is that this is not something that will just go away or that they’ll grow out of. It is a serious problem that can result in a variety of medical problems and even death. If you see some of these behaviors in your child, you need to seek professional help for her. If you start attacking your child they will become defensive and the situation can worsen. There is help available and treatments such as antidepressants are proving very successful. The first step is realizing there is a problem and then the most important step is getting help. I am living proof that there is life after bulimia.

Cass Hope is a registered massage therapist who has studied and counseled in nutrition. Cass regularly contributes to online and offline publications dealing with weight loss and nutrition. She is currently sponsoring this site: http://www.naturalsuccess.info

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Yo Yo Dieting in Men

When a person wishes to go on a diet, they may experience the ups and downs that come with the process of dieting. This is when the term “yo yo dieting” comes into play. Even though a person may lose weight after beginning a diet, they will have to work hard to keep up and maintain the progress. Yo yo dieting is also seen in individuals who are obese.

Those who are obese have more fat cells than a person who is physically fit. Their fat cells are also larger. When an obese man or woman diets, their fat cells do not decrease in numbers, they only grow smaller. This means that when food intake increases after a diet, the fat cells will return to their original state, making the overall appearance of the individual larger. This is why it is important for a person to find a diet that they will be able to stick to; they will be able to feel better and maintain their weight loss better.

Although the trend of dieting has been mostly associated with women; men also experience these ups and downs of yo yo dieting. During short-term dieting, a dieter must exercise or else half or more of the weight they lose will be due to a loss in muscles. Muscle loss will lead to a variety of problems, such as a thinner, weaken body prone to breakdowns and fatigue; weakened maintenance of weight because it is muscle than burns calories, not fat; and when weight is gained back, it is mostly fat that will stick to the body- exercise is needed to build muscles.

Another result of yo yo dieting is when the weight is gained back, a dieter who does not exercise will not only be fatter, but will appear thicker than they were before. For example, let’s say a man weighed 300 pounds and wore a 5x shirt. He diets without exercising, then loses 20 pounds. Now, let’s say that he regains the weight, but now he is puzzled as to why he now has to fit into a size 6x shirt. The reason is that fat is lighter and less dense than muscle, so it takes more fat weight, as well as bulk, to replace the lost muscle weight. Exercise can eliminate some of these problems.

Not only is yo yo dieting a frustrating process, but it is not good for your overall health. When a person bounces from weight gain to weight loss and back to weight gain again, the immune system suffers. Studies have shown that negative health effects of yo-yo dieting can still be detected years after the fact. If a man participates in crash dieting, such as trying to lose ten pounds in ten days, they will most likely suffer from a yo yo dieting trend. If they are trying to maintain a healthy weight, they should choose a diet that promotes a healthy diet over longer periods of time. The diet should be a complete lifestyle change and not something to try for one brief moment. It has been said that if you lose more than 1-2 pounds a week, you are probably doing too much.

If you are interested in reading a little more on the subject, you should look into such books as:

The Yo-Yo Diet Syndrome: How to Heal and Stabilize Your Appetite and Weight by Doreen Virtue

How to Stop the Yo-Yo Diet Syndrome by Charles Schoelen

The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet : The Lifelong Solution to Yo-Yo Dieting by Rachael F. Heller

The Turbo-Protein Diet: Stop Yo-Yo Dieting Forever by Dieter Markert

The Low Carb Yo-Yo: Why Low Carb Diets Dont' Work by Barry Sears

I lost 40lbs following fad diets - Discover some tips.
Free Fad Diets offers advice on fad diets, and popular diets such as the Cabbage Soup Diet.