DIETING: WHY DO WE OFTEN REGAIN ALL THE WEIGHT WE LOOSE?!?

"So it's the New Year and I am in the mood for a new me...again.  This year I am going to pick a new diet (because other diets have failed) and I am going to stick with it!  This time will be different!" The preceding statement is one said or at least thought by nearly every person in history who has ever tried loosing weight more than once. 

Why is it that when we try to shed the pounds we packed on we do a great job at first.  Then when our weight loss plateaus we loose hope and abandon the diet.  The honeymoon diet phase is over!  Almost inevitably, all the weight we lost comes crawling right back onto our bodies, again.  There are several reasons why what many refer to as the "yo-yo" dieting routine fail.  Some of those reasons are biological, but more often the reason is more simple.

Want to know the main reasons why diets fail?  Diets fail because diets don't work. It is as simple as that.  We as humans do not do well sticking to diets because they are restrictive and somewhat punishing, depending on what diet you are trying.  The only thing that works; the only thing that can truly work for a lifetime to help a person loose weight and keep that weight off is a permanent, long-term adherence to a lifestyle change.  

A true lifestyle change is different from a diet in that the changes you make to what you eat and the way you eat are permanent.  Now, before you run away screaming thinking what is suggested here is a lifetime "diet," let me assure you that is not what a lifestyle change is. 

A lifestyle change is certainly a modification to some of the things you are eating, but it is also an understanding of why you are making that change.  Education and knowledge are the keys to the success of a permanent lifestyle change.  At DCAM, we will teach you not only what to eat but why.  We will show you how to replace certain foods with other more healthy options.  Replacement, as opposed to elimination, is important so you do not feel as though you are being completely restricted from certain foods, flavors and textures.  You will learn about the short and long term consequences of your current eating habits, as well has how and why you might need to change those habits.   

For a truly fascinating article about many of the biological reasons why the majority of people tend to regain all the weight they loose during a diet, take a look at the following article.  In the article, Maclean thoroughly explains many of the biological factors involved with initial weight gain as well as the challenges involved with loosing significant amounts of weight.  Please click here for the article.