Our bodies were not designed to diet. Our bodies were designed to achieve their ideal weight by internally managing what we eat, our stress levels, and other environmental factors. This does not mean we were meant to be overweight either, but you may have observed that our bodies do adjust to excess weight better than they adjust to dieting. Our bodies are like a well designed machine, processing what we eat, responding to outside stimuli, and preferring a state of well being rather than chaos.
Our brain is our main machine controller. It directs all other systems whether we are conscious of it or not. It can only operate with the tools and supplies available to it. If something is missing, our brain forces our bodies to act in a way that may be counter to long-term health but keeps us alive in the short term. Our brain, and the rest of our body, requires certain elements to perform or operate correctly.
This is one of the main reasons why dieting does not work. Our bodies require food and water to survive. We also require the right food and enough water to thrive. Our bodies enter what is commonly called ‘starvation mode’ when it doesn’t have adequate supplies of food or water. Our bodies still function, but we don’t thrive and grow. Our brain shuts down lesser important systems ensuring short term survival. If we lack food or eat food of poor nutritional content, our body and brain knows that it does not have the raw materials it needs. Our brain and bodies begin using muscle and other energy stores to keep operating, and actually begin the process of storing fat for reserves.
The traditional medical community has told us that in order to lose weight, we must cut our food intake. While this is in part true, and it will help us to lose weight, the loss may be only temporary. Significant reductions in the calories we consume causes our bodies to use critical resources and are burning up part of our system that we require to lose weight and maintain that loss ‘ lean muscle mass.
It almost seems like we cannot win. If we don’t reduce the amount of calories we consume, we will not lose weight. But if we cut calories and lose the weight in the form of lean muscle mass, the loss will only be temporary. We must understand these processes in order to ensure that we get the desired long term outcome ‘ achieving an ideal weight.
Instead of dieting, we need to learn to work with our body to help it repair itself. We simply can’t reduce or eliminate the raw materials our body’s need to properly do their job. One of the first steps it for each of us to learn to eat better foods. Note that the operative word is better, not ‘less’! Long term weight loss almost always requires a change in lifestyle to keep maintain an ideal weight for the long term. Eating better foods means the elimination of high fat content foods. It also includes eating whole foods. Whole foods are those that have not been heated or pasteurized. If it is in a can (like canned vegetables) or has been prepared (like frozen dinners) it is no longer a whole food. The enzymes, amino acids, and other essential nutrients have been destroyed by the heating process. Slight changes in diet can result in significant changes in your body and help you naturally achieve your ideal weight.
