Does dieting help you lose weight?

We all know the answer. No. Of course not. Isn’t it common knowledge that dieting doesn’t work? 

Oh, wait, you haven’t heard? In that case, check out this research study. Or this study of dieting, weight gain, and children. Or, try this one. Wait, one more. 

But, we don’t need research articles to tell us something we’ve learned from experience. 

Remember your first diet? The first time I tried Weight Watchers, it worked. Really well. I was relentless with my point counting, recipe researching, and meal planning. After a few months, I was back to my high school weight. Success. 

Even before I started Weight Watchers, I had heard some rumblings about how dieting didn’t work. I even heard that dieting led to weight gain. But I thought, No. Not me. 

Those statistics don’t apply to me. 

I’m disciplined. I’m focused. 

I’m a good dieter. 

I’d prove them wrong. 

I’d be the exception.  

I’d be in the 5% that could diet and keep the weight off. 

I’d be special.

We both know how this story goes. The weight stays off until it doesn’t.

When I tried Weight Watchers a second time after the birth of my second son, I thought that if it worked once, it should work again, right? I started with all of the same intentions and motivations. I was determined. 

Yet, after a few days, I’d forget to log my points in. I’d let myself snack on a bagel from my office’s break room. I’d make a big batch of veggie soup on Sunday but it would stay in the fridge, untouched. I’d throw out a head of lettuce or zucchini at the end of the week because they went bad. 

Basically, I was really disinterested. And, no matter how good my self pep talk was every morning, I couldn’t stick to dieting.

Can you relate?  

Not being able to successfully diet was secretly devastating to me. How could I lose weight if I couldn’t diet? What other options do I have? 

Without dieting, you may fear being out of control around food. You may worry you’ll be overeating all the time or binging on ice cream or cookies. You may be so afraid you’ll gain weight. I also know that fear and hopelessness. 

For motivated and action-oriented women like you and I, the worst thing you can do is give us a problem without a way to solve it. We will keep trying something over and over until we find something that works. That’s just the way we’re wired. We don’t like failing and we don’t like giving up. 

So, today, if you are in this place, I want to offer you a concrete action step. Something you can do that may spark some hope inside of you. Something that moves you toward letting go of something that doesn’t work and doesn’t serve you. 

Reacquaint yourself with your own physical hunger and fullness. The best way to do this is to be in conversation with your body. Ask your body questions and be willing to listen for answers. 

What does your hunger feel like in your body? When you spend time with it, you may be surprised that it’s not just an empty belly. 

What does feeling satisfied or content feel like in your body? Notice your energy levels. 

I invite you to get curious and interested in what your body is willing to share. After years of dieting, we turn away from our body’s signals and turn toward rules, lists and calorie trackers. We both know this doesn’t work. The research just confirms our own intuition.