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4 Reasons Why You Should Never Go on a Diet

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We all have a friend who counts calories or avoids carbohydrates.

We all have said to ourselves at some point of time, “I need to go on a diet.”

Diet culture is also all around us. There are Ketogenic Diet Followers, Paleo Diet Lovers. Vegan Enthusiast and many more who swear by various diet plans. By diet, I mean, following some restrictive, regulated and supervised food rules (except medical and ethical concerns). There are celebrities endorsing various diet plans and on click of a mouse, detox diets, personalized/non-personalized diets are available.

While the buzz around the various fad diets is never-ending, do they do any good in the long run? I think not and here’s why you should not go on a diet.

1. Dieting robs you of nutrients

Whichever dieting plan you follow, you are basically restricting yourself from getting some or the other food nutrients. If you are on…

Low carb diet. You’re missing out on fiber, B-Vitamins, potassium, magnesium and other micronutrients.

Low fat diet. You may have trouble absorbing Vitamins A, D, E and K.

Calorie restricting diet. You certainly won’t be able to meet the protein, calcium, biotin, thymine, Vitamin A, Magnesium needs.

Paleo/No dairy diet. You’ll have a harder time meeting your calcium, Vitamin D needs.

2. Dieting is stressful for the body

When you go on a low-calorie diet, the brain slows down metabolism to conserve energy and keep the body functioning on fewer calories. And this can make weight loss and weight maintenance more difficult.

Also dieting increases stress hormone, cortisol. When cortisol is high, digestion, sleep, and everything else is thrown off. Increased cortisol can actually lead to weight gain, among other things.

Also weight fluctuation brings a host of related side effects that can harm your physical health. Not surprisingly, it has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

4 Reasons Why You Should Never Go on a Diet

3. Dieting is waste of effort

It’s a known fact that most people who go on a diet, regain all the weight, plus more at some point. Studies have shown that diets do not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people.

4. Dieting is bad for mental health

Dieting pushes you to set unrealistic expectations and also distorts body image and self esteem, and is a major contributor to eating disorders. When you view certain foods as bad and others as good, there is a risk of developing a disordered relationship with food. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

Is there a solution to dieting?

It is best to stick with a healthy balanced lifestyle and this should become a part of your lifestyle every single day. Remember to make it a journey and not a destination.

Do you believe in diets? How has been your experience with them?

My theme for this year’s Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is Food Talks. Join me for some interesting, fun conversations about food experiences, experiments, basics, tips, ideas, hacks, trends and much more.

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25 Responses

  1. Agree totally! When you start eating food in the name of Diet it creates chaos. Eating minimal food, maintaining all kind of food on the plate helps for good health.

  2. 2 of my family members are gluten intolerant and have definite issues with keeping nutrition at a good place. Thank goodness we are good at cooking at home and not eating out much. It helps at least.

  3. Thank God ! Someone stressed it enough once again. Really glad you decided to address it for it forms an integral part of our lives and very well articulated.

  4. Need to share it with my fitness freak friends who are into dieting. Though I don’t need it still I never understood the funda of going on a diet and then there are chest days too. I feel eat well and everything in moderation and burn it.

  5. I could be one of those friends who’s often on a diet. And I’ve never had any trouble because I’ve never been able to stick to any of them long enough, thank goodness. Also, I’ve never done the drastic ones. The one time I did diet seriously I did it because the doc recommended it and with the help of a qualified dietician. I think that’s very important.

  6. Thank you shilpa you have raised valid points to think and I do agree with you; i have in the past tried diets but never really worked, regained back again. The best way is to eat healthy and stick to home cooked and above all as rightly put by you, make it a journey and not destination. Its important we make changes to impact our live styles.

  7. You struck a chord there, Shilpa. I have never ever understood how people go on these crazy diets. It may sound oft-repeated but really a balanced meal and exercise is all that we need.

  8. Yes dieting can be stressful deprive body of essential nutrients. I think working out and eating in moderation may do the job of dieting.

  9. I am so glad you wrote this, Shilpa. The bind following of the Keto Diet is disturbing, more so because it isn’t meant for regular people. Hope people read your post and see reason.

  10. I completely agree with you. I never recommend dieting to anyone. As a nutritionist, I feel its more important to eat balanced meals and eat healthily.

  11. I agree with you Shilpa and also believe in the principle of eating a healthy and balanced diet. dieting affect not only our physical but mental health adversely. I am glad you had covered this topic in your series. looking forward to know what comes next!

  12. I have never believed in diets and dieting, esp crash diets. I pity those who do follow such strict diets that leave them worse than when they started.
    I believe in eating everything in moderation, workout regularly and love your body the way it is. This will take care of your physical as well as mental health.

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