I have been overweight half of my life which means most of my adult life I have only tried to reduce a few pounds. It does not sound that difficult to many but to me it is, as I am a big-time foodie and genetically I have a tendency to gain weight hence it takes me a month to lose a few pounds which I can easily gain back in a few days which makes the process of weight loss much more difficult in my case.
Still, I have been optimistic most of the time and this resulted in a good amount of weight loss but to get rid of my favorite snack has always been a tough choice. Hence there are times when I have slipped from my diet schedule and binged further due to guilt.
Recently I realized that I have an unhealthy relationship with my food and basically, I have an eating disorder due to which I decided to visit a shrink and he made me realize that I was burning out by self-dieting (or I should call it starving). He also helped me understand the reasons that led to the diet burnout and how to overcome them and I have shared the same below in detail for you to take benefit from;
1. Unrealistic Weight Loss Goals and Expectations:
Setting up unrealistic weight loss goals is only going to make you feel more depressed when you do not achieve them, hence set realistic weight loss expectations. According to Dr. Leon Reyfman, people who set unrealistic weight loss goals only end up doing extra physical workout causing injuries that can result in chronic pain which needs immediate treatment. Hence make a realistic weight loss goal which you can achieve without any burnouts.
2. Wrong Body Image:
If you aim to achieve the figure of a model when you diet, then you will only be disappointed because most models you see in the magazines get their photos edited to look perfect. Do not run behind a perfect body as in reality it does not exist, a healthy body is really what you should aim for as it is the perfect body.
3. Doing a Fad Diet:
Every week a new diet is introduced in the market as weight loss has become a large money-making industry hence do not blindly follow any new diet you hear about, research well to find out if it is a beneficial diet or a fad diet which will only spoil your health.
4. Not Enough Diet Information:
If you are following a diet about which you do not have enough information, it may not work for you hence either research well or hire a dietician to help you with the diet.
5. Stress:
Who does not have stress in today’s world? But people who suffer from eating disorders handle stress differently; they either stop eating or start overeating. If you experience stress, tackle the source of stress rather than overcoming it by food.
6. Hitting a Weight Plateau:
During weight loss, you will constantly go through phases when your weight does not move for quite some time. Most people give up when that does not happen and out of frustration, they start binging; remember this is just a phase that will pass, keep doing what you need to do and ignore the numbers.
I hope my experience will help a few of you realize your unhealthy relationship with your food and aid in overcoming it.