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This is a topic that gets brought up far too frequently and it is a really important conversation to have. Before we dive into that, let me tell you about my own personal journey into the world of dieting. A couple of years ago, in 2013, I was a very chubby individual. I remember weighing 220lbs in Grade 12. Which is extremely large for a 16 year old. So I did a lot of crash diets that got me absolutely nowhere. The Atkins diet was one that I tried. As well at the Keto diet. As well as the high carb diet, and the low-carb diet, and the fruit juice diet, and the list goes on and on and on…
I mean don’t get me wrong, for most of those diets, I definitely did lose weight but the caveat was that I always felt miserable.
I was so focused on my appearance.
Whether or not I looked fat in the mirror.
Or whether or not my muscles were getting bigger.
All of this was extremely heartbreaking for me.
And to top it off, I couldn’t eat the foods that I wanted, which pissed off my friends to the highest degree.
Everything had to be measured to the T.
If it didn’t fit in with my MyFitnessPal calorie tracker, then it couldn’t be on my radar.
My God, I was miserable.
But I was so indoctrinated with this idea, that in order to be fit, you have to be strict with your diet.
And that is true to an extent.
You can’t be eating oreos everyday because you’re craving something sweet.
Discipline is the route to happiness, and yes, you will have to suffer to reach your fitness goals.
But, after being a Camp Counsellor for many years, I found that the best way to win is through incentives.
If you give yourself an incentive, like at the end of the week, that’s when you can gorge on Oreos, that’s when it will help you to take care of your mental health as well as your physical health.
And I’ve got a couple of reasons why a restrictive diet is absolutely detrimental to your fitness goals.
1. Nutrient Deficiency
Many diets will convince you that the first thing you need to do to reduce weight, is to cut out fats from your diet. Fats are not the enemy! It’s extremely essential to your entire nutrition plan. It’s a known fact that you need a proper balance of all 3 macronutrients: fats, carbohydrates, and protein. And don’t forget, you also need those micronutrients. You can get that from whole, natural foods but one of the best ways is through supplementation. That’s why the whole “count your calories” idea is so absurd. No one in their right mind would say that a bowl of cereal is HEALTHIER than an egg spinach omelette cooked in coconut oil. While the bowl of cereal has less calories than the omelette, the omelette will definitely give you much more macronutrients & micronutrients that are better for you.
2. Poor Food Choices
Something you didn’t think that would be possible is the lack of proper food choices. It’s true! If you’re more calorie conscious, you’re more likely to avoid the whole foods section because there’s no calorie label on it. So you tend to seek more processed foods which contain that label. Quite the inverse result wouldn’t you say?
3. Unsustainable
Probably the most obvious, is that counting calories is no way to live. It’s unfeasible. You’ll come across foods that many not come with nutrition facts, and what are you going to do then? Not eat? Not possible. I’m not saying to not plan ahead before eating out or be weary of what you eat. You should definitely pay attention to that but don’t make it your life mission. You’ll end up more miserable than when you started.
4. Metabolism
Another drawback of extreme dieting is the complete blow it takes on your metabolism and other functions. It takes a lot of calories to just handle being alive. That’s why you need adequate nutrition to keep up with all of that. But when you drastically cut out a lot of calories all at once, what does that leave you with? A sad husk of a person who is completely drained & fatigued. I will say this though. Being in a caloric deficit is the quickest way to lose weight, and the only way you can. But by obsessing over it, you won’t amount to much.
Dieting is no easy work. And it can often lead to dangerous habits that could literally break you. I highly advocate for a more lifestyle approach instead of something that's just a passing fad.
But I get it.
Sometimes, it's hard to stay on a diet after a long day at work.
And the main reason you can't control your hunger is because of your lack of energy.
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