Dieting is Simply Too Hard

July 15, 2010 admin 2 comments

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Hi,

Dieting is simply too hard, says a survey titled, “Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America” (2008).

They came to this conclusion based upon the fact that more and more people are giving up on dieting.

And you know what, they are right.

Dieting is too hard.

It is hard not only from a physical aspect, but also from your mental and spiritual aspects also.

You have heard of the body, mind and spirit, right? Well, if you can get all three of these aligned to accomplish something, you will be able to accomplish it much easier.

If, one aspect is not in alignment, then your task becomes much more difficult, if not impossible.

Think of trying to push a wheelbarrow when the wheel is not attached and you will get an idea of what it is like trying to accomplish a goal when you are not aligned.

So why is dieting such a problem?

First, you body is not designed to diet. Your body is a series of checks and balances that help you function at the optimal levels.

When you are hungry a hormone called ghrelin signals you to eat. When you are full another hormone called leptin tells you to stop eating.

Every system in your body has these checks and balances. As long as that system is maintained then you will never need to diet.

So, if the system gets whacked out of balance then the body doesn’t really understand how to get back in balance, so it resists.

Let me explain. If you overeat a little bit everyday (finish all the food on your plate), the leptin learns not to react as quickly. This process is a desensitization of leptin.

So it takes more and more leptin to tell you when you are full. This is a gradual process and eventually it doesn’t work well at all.

It was found that obese people actually have very high levels of leptin, but it doesn’t work anymore.

Now there is nothing to tell you when you are full. Ghrelin has no counter force.

So you keep eating and eating and eating. Why doesn’t ghrelin slow down or stop working also?

No one knows for sure, but I am guessing it has to do with what you eat.

Your body needs nutrients to function properly. If it is not getting these nutrients, that doesn’t mean it stops wanting them.

What it means is it keeps signaling your body to keep eating until it gets the nutrients.

Try this. Eat a well balanced meal of proteins, fats and carbs. Something like wild salmon with vegetables and a sweet potato. That will give your body all the nutrients it needs and the body will be satisfied.

If you eat a meal of a double bacon burger with fries and a soda, your body will not be getting hardly any nutrients. And you will be signaled that your body still needs the nutrient. Go eat some more says your body.

This becomes a vicious cycle. And even though continual eating of bad food is not good for you, it doesn’t matter to your body. It will keep signaling you to eat more until it gets the nutrients it needs.

As you can see your body doesn’t want to go on a diet. It doesn’t know how to act on a diet and it will rebel every step of the way.

That is one of the reasons that dieting is simply too hard. Stay tuned for the mental and spiritual sides of the equation tomorrow.

Thanks,

Mike Val