How to Banish the Inevitably Unsuccessful Dieting FiasCo.
Get a group of women together and if there is one topic that is sure to be discussed it is how to lose more weight. What is the current “fad” diet and how quickly does the weight come off?
And it’s really no wonder, living in our abundant, affluent society there is food everywhere, all the time, and we need Herculean strength to resist all temptation.
What a paradox that we as a culture places such a premium on looking slightly undernourished and no larger than an almost unattainable size 2!
And it’s important to know that it wasn’t always like this! It used to be that women of a much more curvaceous and wholesome size were the coveted body types! Imagine that a woman could quite literally have her cake and eat it too!
So it’s important to remember and realize that our society’s obsession with weight and particularly the weight of women- is a relatively recent phenomena and quite possibly a passing fad! All the pressure that we feel as women was at one time in the not so distant past a non issue!
We have so many responsibilities as women today and on top of it all we are even more pressured because of our weight. So my continual message to my dear sisters and friends is that you are soooo… much more than your weight!
You are the mom to your precious kids who need you so much. You are the world to them and they don’t care what you look like because you are so very beautiful to them. Your smile is like the morning sun and your kiss is the fuel that gives them strength for the entire day.
So many people depend on the very beautiful you!
It is No Surprise that Women are Focused on Weight
But knowing how important a women’s appearance is I am quite sure that this encouragement is falling on deaf ears. You most probably have already begun to roll your eyes. As women, our self-esteem is so intensely tied to our appearance and our weight is one of our major concerns. When we feel good about our appearance our confidence soars!
But because of this, we are miserable when our weight is not ideal and we are on the never ending search for a new diet because the diet that we are on today never seems to work for tomorrow. It is so disheartening to see moms who work so hard to lose weight, have the weight return a few months later.
This applies even more so to moms who have recently given birth. It is often so difficult to return to pre-pregnancy weight. Nursing demands lots of energy and keeping up a milk supply. We need to eat more, to keep up with our bodies new demands.
This presents several challenges because our bodies go through so many hormonal changes, our muscles have been stretched from the pregnancy and our stress levels are often elevated from lack of sleep.
It is no surprise that many women turn to poor eating habits because they are so busy taking care of their new baby and the rest of their families.
Out of shape, busy with a new baby, not eating well and lack of sleep can leave a mom out of sorts. It can be hard for a mom to get back on track both physically and mentally.
There is also something that happens during pregnancy that many women are not aware of. There is a muscle called the diastasis recti that becomes stretched during pregnancy. It is the muscle that, once stretched, can make women look 3 or 4 months pregnant, long after birth.
After Birth Some Exercises May Cause Harm
Even a healthy exercise program can sometimes be harmful after birth The wrong exercise can do this muscle more harm than good. When you don’t exercise correctly, you may strain the diastasis recti and cause the opposite of what you are hoping to achieve. This is true even of you are eating a proper diet and even if you have returned to your pre-pregnancy weight.
One of the programs that really addresses the healing of the diastasis recti after birth is the MUTU system. It addresses the overwhelming changes that our bodies experience after birth and beyond. MUTU is a holistic approach that helps moms heal after the strain of our stomach and pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy.
The program can help many women who have difficulty restoring their muscles to their former strength and position.
I also like that it addresses nutrition and healthy eating which are so crucial to maintaining a normal and healthy body weight
Why Dieting Doesn’t Work
And that brings me to the point that I have stressed many times before. If there is one thing that I have learned and mentioned from watching my dear friends yoyo diet form year to year, it is this. DIETING DOESN’T WORK!
It may definitely work for the short term. Dieting is useful after a long winter and we want to fit back into our summer clothing as we plan our vacations or outings. It may be useful to get in shape for a special occasion or event.
Knowing that you have to be ready for a specific event or occasion, you muster total dedication to the job of losing weight. You have total commitment and you wouldn’t dare to indulge! Bring on the desserts, the potato chips! They have no power over you as you push them to the side. You are unstoppable! And slowly, slowly you start to see results.
You are encouraged the first week. You step on the scale at the end of the week and are thrilled to see that you have lost two pounds! What motivation to begin the second week with renewed vigor.
Next week,- amazing – you are down another two pounds! Your clothes are starting to feel different! How empowering to be closer to your goal!
Confidence is the name of the game as you begin week three with even more determination!
Such excitement! Each week brings new wins and you come closer to your goals. How refreshing! Finally a week before the great reveal! You step up on that scale and see that magical number appear.
You have reached your goal and you are on top of the world! The next day you are off to the mall and find the most beautiful dress that will showcase your hard work and make you feel like a queen for the day.
You can’t wait for your special day (or summer weather) to arrive!
Your day has arrived. You are feeling confident and poised. What a wonderful feeling! What a great day!
Fast forward two months. You step on the scale for the first time in a couple of weeks and horrified to see that you are up five pounds! Five pounds! Where did that come from? Well, at least you’re not back to your original weight, right?
But the truth of the matter, it doesn’t end there. After diets, we usually return to our old eating habits and of course the weight returns. And that is because dieting is not a long-term solution. It is a quick fix that will always lead to long-term failure.
The Importance of Creating a Long-Term Solution
So I can hear you asking what does work? How can I keep the weight off for good? There is only one way and that is eating according to a permanent plan. A plan that will see you through cravings and upsets and be a plan that you can commit to for the rest of your life. For the rest of your life???
Yep, it’s the only way to ensure that your weight will not bounce up and down like a yo-yo. Of course we all fall off our eating plans once in a while. We all have special events, holidays and milestones! We’re only human.
But the point is that in order to maintain a healthy weight, our falling off has to be the exception rather than the rule
If you eat a certain way or according to a diet, then, of course, you will lose weight. The problem is that as soon as you veer from the diet, or go back to the way you were eating before, of course, the weight will come right back!
So I have found that the only way to maintain your ideal (or almost ideal) weight, is to find an eating plan that works for you. Once you find that plan, stick to it and you will always maintain your ideal weight.
My husband lost nearly 20 pounds and has kept most of it off by following an eating plan that he rarely veers from. It is an eating plan as opposed to a diet. The best thing about it is that you can eat lots of food and you eat five times a day to maintain a healthy blood sugar level
It works because it is a permanent plan that is based on wholesome healthy food. It doesn’t mean that he never has a dessert. But again, it is the exception. Snacks consist of healthy foods such as nuts, avocados and hummus and he eats lots of healthy veges.
You can do this too! As we know any habit takes 21 days to develop. If you can keep to a good eating plan for three weeks, you are well on your way to maintaining your ideal weight!
I hope that some of these ideas will work for you. Just remember that you are not your weight. You are worthy and beautiful as you are now. But if you want to feel good and maintain a healthy weight, you can try some of the options above. Here’s to the beautiful you!
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7 Essential Ways to Boost Your Health When you are a Mom
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Leah Miller is the mother of six children (and grandmother) and blogs at everykidinsights.com She holds a Masters in Education and an LBS1. She writes and speaks about raising kids and mom challenges. By day she is a special education teacher and coordinator and by night a late hour blogger. Please check out my blog and like and share this post.
