The evidence for diets - Part 1

We are led to believe that dieting started as early as the 3rd century, by the Greeks eating light soothing foods, running hard, wrestling, sea salt enemas, walking around naked (???!) and vomiting after meals. The Greeks believed being fat was the result of luxury and corruption so food should be plain and not arouse the appetite. 
Over the years that followed, people started to change the things that they ate for reasons such as being too heavy to ride a horse or simply feeling unwell. 

In 1917 calories lurked on the scene in the form of a weight loss book authored by Dr Peters, who urged readers to see foods as calories (and to eat under 1200 calories a day! Please read: this is not good) rather than nutritional value. In the last 100 years people have been using this same method to try to lose weight. And how is it working? Not well at all. In fact 98% of dieters regain the weight and then some within 5 years. Dieting does not work in the long run. The research is out there. We will look at this in Part 2 . 

Dr Rick Kausman of If not dieting then what' believes diets stand for:
Deprivation, Impressive Energy Sapping and Temporary. So very true. They grab our attention by appearing quite sexy but really all they do is take up a lot of brain room, leave you with little energy and blame you for that they can't do!  

 'If it was only a matter of knowing about nutrition, then wouldn't fewer people be over their most comfortable weight?'

n steps intuitive eating. Which by the very meaning of the word means innate, within us. What a relief. We don't need external regulators. We don't need a calorie counting book. We just need to become more in tune with ourselves, our bodies and our thoughts. And this can look so very differently, so no structure or rigidity imposed on groups of people could ever work. An athlete will have vastly different needs to an office worker. They each need to find intuitive eating for themselves in the context of their own lives. 

In a contrast to diet which is about weight, intuitive eating is all about wellbeing, for which I have come up with a little acronym:

Wny we eat not what we eat
Energy giving
Living with intention
Listening to your body
Be content with you now
Enjoy food and movement
Individual for lifestyle and preferences
Nothing is good or bad
Give yourself care and nurture

This is intuitive eating in a nutshell. It isn't a quick fix. It is a slow, loving, gentle approach to more complete health. After all, it is healthy behaviours rather than the outcome of weight that determines optimal health. 

If you would like to learn one on one about intuitive eating and how to return to this innate ability, take a look at my nutrition counselling services.