Diets Don't Work
The science is well and truly in – diets don’t work! While going on a diet may give you results in the short-term, the change is both stressful for the body and unsustainable in the long-term.
If you are above the most healthy and comfortable weight for you, there is nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight. However, it is important you go about it in the right way – to look after your emotional and physical wellbeing and make changes that both work with your lifestyle, and are sustainable.
The number of fad diets and conflicting advice (because it’s a multimillion dollar industry!!) is so confusing it can be easy to be overwhelmed. If it was simply a matter of knowing about nutrition and exercise, there would not be as many people struggling with their weight today. There is much more to the picture, and that is where psychology can help.
Here are my seven top tips (backed by science) for achieving and maintaining your most healthy and comfortable weight:
1. Focus on Healthy Behaviours
Evidence shows that it is healthy behaviours, rather than the achievement of any particular weight, that determines optimal health. So set small goals that fit in to your lifestyle and are in line with your values.
2. Every Body is Different
Genetics, metabolism, age, gender, hormones, blood chemicals, attitudes, beliefs, past behaviours, how we feel about ourselves and the amount of activity we do all influence our weight. And these variables affect everyone differently. Stop comparing yourself to others, and focus on accepting yourself and achieving the most healthy and comfortable weight for you.
3. Forget About Numbers
There are so many reasons why having a ‘goal weight’ is unhelpful. Aim for specific, individual and sustainable changes in behaviour instead, like increasing your activity or level of mindful eating.
4. Track Your Non-Hungry Eating
Some non-hungry eating is completely appropriate and normal. However for many people, eating in the absence of hunger can be a significant factor contributing to being above their most healthy and comfortable weight. Simply paying more attention to the reasons you are eating can be a powerful step forwards in changing your relationship with food and weight.
5. Ditch the Moral Dimension to Food
There is no such thing as ‘good’ food and ‘bad’ food. Thinking in those terms sets you up for the restrict/binge cycle, adds unnecessary emotional stress and destroys self-love. Instead, think about how your body uses food and work towards establishing what is the most appropriate eating pattern for you.
6. Savour Your Meals
As much as possible, try to sit down and eat your meals and snacks slowly and without distraction. Put your cutlery down between mouthfuls, and treat eating as an opportunity for mindfulness – relishing the sensory properties of your culinary experience!
7. Be Patient
The journey towards achieving and maintaining your most healthy and comfortable weight can take time. Surround yourself with reliable sources of information, supportive people, and loads of self-compassion.
If you’re struggling in your relationship with food and your body, a clinical psychologist can support you with the knowledge and skills to help.
Building Positive Body Image
Body dissatisfaction has almost become a cultural norm in Western society. Body dissatisfaction is the top ranked issue of concern for young people (Mission Australia, 2016). Body image issues affect people of all ages, and have increased worldwide, especially with the acceleration of technology.
This pervasive problem is concerning, because overvaluing body image in defining ones self-worth is one of the risk factors which makes some people less resilient to eating disorders than others.
Our media culture perpetuates unrealistic and highly edited images of the ‘ideal’ body. We are exposed to 5000 messages per day that reinforce the thin ideal. How do you feel about your body after scrolling through your Instagram feed? Eric Stice’s research has developed a pathway from the media portrayal of the thin ideal to the development of eating disorders. Exposure of the thin ideal in the media leads to the internalization of this message in 80-90% of individuals (whether they’re aware of it or not). Body dissatisfaction then develops as a result of this in 80% of those individuals. It is estimated that 5-6% of the population develop a clinical eating disorder, with body dissatisfaction being the biggest predictor.
People experiencing body dissatisfaction can become fixated on trying to change their body shape, which can lead to unhealthy practices with food and exercise. These practices don’t usually achieve the desired outcome (physically or emotionally) and can result in intense feelings of disappointment, shame and guilt. Ultimately, the endpoint can be an increased risk of developing an eating disorder.
The key to a healthy relationship with your body is a balanced approach to food and exercise
Developing a positive relationship with your body is such a critical process for fostering wellbeing. Here are our top tips for building a positive body image:
