Diets Don’t Work…?

Self Awareness is the key to Sustainable Health

I’m watching this great show on the BBC at the moment, called ‘The Real Marigold Hotel.’ It’s about a group of retirement-age celebrities who set up a retirement home in India.

In episode two, they all went to the hospital for health checks. One of the participants in the show was given a wake-up call when she was told that she is morbidly obese, and she needs to make some serious lifestyle changes.

She was very open, and surprisingly candid, about the experience. She said that she’s tried every diet under the sun, but she gives up whenever she fails, and because she’s lazy.

As well as admiring her bravery at being so open, it was so refreshing to hear someone own up to their actions rather than playing the blame game. She’s an inspiration. She’s giving out the message that it’s ok to try and fail. It’s not a competition. This is life!

Banish the ‘D’ Word!

Whatever you eat is your diet. Simples! Making the word ‘diet’ synonymous with weight-loss is not helpful.

Saying that a diet doesn’t work is easier than being judged as a failure — especially when you may already feel insecure about being overweight in the first place. So it’s understandable why people may find it easier to blame the tools and say “Diets don’t work”, rather than blame their own efforts.

The whole self-defeating rhetoric around diets needs to stop. Maybe we could start by not using the ‘D’ word as though it were some kind of magic bullet or weapon! Eating is a basic human need, it’s not a test! You are not a lab rat under scientific conditions. You are not in a diet prison! Every day is different, and comes with it’s own unique opportunities and challenges. Learn from them, and move on.

The only failure is to stop trying!