The main argument is that if those diet pills actually worked, then the companies that make them would lose all the customers they need to stay in business. The truth is that people often do lose weight on these products, but then gain it all back, and then some. A recent review of dozens of scientific studies on dieting (American Psychologist – April 2007) concludes that, “there is little support for the notion that diets lead to lasting weight loss or heath benefits.” It goes on to state that as many as 83% of dieters will actually weigh more than their pre-diet weight two years after they started their diet program. But who’s to blame for this massive failure – the customer or the companies?

While we as consumers theoretically have free choice, diet supplement advertisers prey on our ignorance, hopes and insecurities to get us to buy their pills. They often market their products using studies of questionable objectivity, and have resorted to setting up fake blogs devoted to hawking their products. Who hasn’t seen blogs or websites telling us about ‘Jessica’s (or Jane’s or Debbie’s or Jason’s) Real Story – How I lost 500 lbs using this simple weird trick!’ And the weird trick turns out to be some exotic berry growing on the underside of a jungle fungus harvested by pygmies. Yours for only $139.97 each month!

We want to be like Jessica. We identify with the images of her as an overweight person and we want desperately to achieve the same results as she did.  We want a slim healthy fit body.  But is it realistic? When a company promises us unbelievable results we do know better, but we can’t help ourselves because really, just taking a pill would be sooo much easier than actually having to make any lifestyle changes. As consumers, our lack of critical thinking is just as much to blame as the diet industry’s unscrupulous marketing tactics.

But enough blame: How can we make our weight loss plans truly successful, and keep the weight off for good? The fact of the matter is, people fail on diets because they take a pill or make a temporary, unsustainable change to their eating habits, and once they’ve lost a bit of weight, revert back to their old habits. Presto, the pounds fly back on and it’s back to square one. Unless you address the underlying cause(s) of your overeating and make true changes to your lifestyle, you are just setting yourself up for failure.

How do we identify the causes and find solutions? Emotional eating has gotten a lot of media attention as of late, frequently discussed on shows like the Biggest Loser and Joy Behar, but it’s only one factor that affects our overeating.

Here’s a simple exercise you can do to analyze why you eat, along with practical and unusual solutions to modify your eating habits for good.

References:

http://mann.bol.ucla.edu/files/Diets_don’t_work.pdf

Copyright 2010 Living-Well.net

The first step to diet success is to understand why you eat. Let’s face it, hunger is not the only answer to this question, or you wouldn’t be overweight. Boredom, depression, pleasure, stress and tiredness are all potential reasons. People also often associate activities like watching TV or going to the movies with eating. There’s something about those dark theaters and that glowing screen…

Why do you eat? Try this simple exercise (see photo for an example): take a blank sheet of paper and write down the word eating in the middle of the page, then make an individual branch for all the moods and situations that prompt you to eat. (I will make an example chart we can insert as a picture) Then, write down why you eat in those situations. For example, you may eat when you’re depressed because it’s comforting and it fills the emptiness you feel. You may eat when you’re watching television because it gives your hands something to do, or because it’s relaxing.

Okay, once you’ve accomplished that, start branching out onto solutions for each reason. Think of alternate ways to fulfill the role that eating plays in those situations. For example, if eating gives you something to do with your hands while you watch TV, you might consider keeping a pair of free weights under your couch to do bicep curls while you watch, taking up knitting, or keeping a supply of carrot sticks or grapes on hand for guilt-free noshing. If you eat when you’re tired, you may consider going to bed earlier, or exercising or drinking green tea instead for an energy boost.

Set up an alternate plan for when you’re feeling stressed. Instead of taking a trip to the vending machine, sit at your desk and do a few minutes of deep breathing, then drink a glass of water or a cup of tea. If you eat for pleasure, find non-food-related ways to spoil yourself. Get a massage or buy a few tabloids and sit in a bubble bath for an hour (this is my personal favorite). If you eat out of boredom, take some time to decide on a meaningful hobby or activity. Make yourself get outside for a walk around the neighborhood. If you eat junk food because it’s convenient, banish it from your cupboards. Have a husband and kids that like their munchies? Get them on board and make sure you’re well stocked with healthy snacks for them also.

Obviously, not all solutions will work for or appeal to all people. You have to choose or invent the solutions that will work for you. Remember, this is your life, and you’re the only one who can change it, so once you figure out what you want, you have to develop strategies to outsmart your old habits.

Now, take the paper and place it somewhere prominent, where you’ll see it daily. Once you’ve identified the situations in which you eat (other than hunger), it’s easier to prevent yourself from getting in those situations in the first place. Implement your solutions as necessary. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to control your weight when you understand your motivations for eating.

Click here for 13 simple rules for weight loss success (tip #3: eat enough fats)

Copyright 2010 Living-Well.net