Diets Don’t Work: So, What You Gonna Do?
A recent article in the Metro newspaper on the ever-expanding weight loss market (click here) – to be worth an estimated £220billion globally by 2017 – highlights a significant problem with diets – they just don’t work. Never have and never will. Only five per cent of those who go on them keep off the weight they lose. So A: what’s the point of them and B: What’s the solution?
Firstly, there is no point. Unless, that is, you’re looking to put on weight as fast as you fought it off. Or, you’re someone looking to get rich quick off the back of the latest slimming fad.
Diets, slimming programmes and even miracle pills reel you in with quick fixes and instant results. But, weight that is quickly lost just as quickly returns once you stop the diet or stop taking the pill, because they just don’t fix the underlying problems.
So, secondly and sadly, there is only one sure way to lose weight and then keep that weight off. And, that’s the hard way.
The only way to achieve and maintain a healthy level of weight loss is through a long-term commitment to a healthy eating plan that also includes exercise. And the recommended level of weight loss whilst sticking to that plan is between 1lb – 2lb a week over a sustained period of time. Which is where most people reading this will go, ‘urgh!’
Time? Commitment? Exercise!
There are any one of a number of objections to all of these. Which is where both CBT and hypnotherapy come in.
Weight loss is one of hypnotherapy’s success stories. The unconscious mind readily responds to suggestions that include cutting out sweets, chocolate, biscuits and so on, whilst embracing lean meat, fresh veg and all else that you consider healthy.
CBT and hypnotherapy together can then break all your unhealthy associations with food such as comfort eating, not being able to say no, being addicted to certain food groups and so on.
The two therapies combined can also help you deal with objections to duration, such as, “I can’t wait 28 weeks to lose two stone,” and “dear god but, I’m bored with skinned chicken and quinoa” as well as objections to exercise, including “you won’t get me anywhere near a gym” and “I simply don’t have time to exercise, so there!”
Exercise does not have to include running on a treadmill down the gym in an ill-fitting lycra onesie. Hell, if you can manage to find a spare 10 minutes, three times a day, to do some walking, you’re well on your way.
But whatever you do and, however you do it. When it comes to weight loss, always bear in mind that old adage, “slow and steady wins the race.”