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Common Dieting Traps and How to Escape Them

I. The setback: You're starving.
Just yesterday, you couldn't have been more determined to cut calories. Today, you're ready to eat the plaster off the walls. It's not that your willpower is too weak; it's that your desire to succeed is so strong. Most people significantly overestimate the amount of calories they can reasonably do without. They start with an unrealistic weight-loss goal and then need to cut out huge chunks of their normal food intake.

Prevent it: Set your sights on dropping no more than 2 pounds, and preferably just 1, per week. If you're losing more than that, it's mostly water and muscle, not fat. The slower your weight loss, the higher the percentage of fat you'll lose. (To lose a pound in a week, you need to reduce your calorie intake by 500 or burn 500 more calories per day exercising.)

II. The setback: You're a total grouch.
After the so-called dieter's honeymoon, when your motivation is at an all-time high, comes the so-called dieter's depression. Around the second or third week, resentment starts to creep in, and it becomes more difficult to make the hard food choices. Dieters in this stage aren't much fun to be around. Physically, the simple act of eating fewer calories can cause irritability, but you may also be feeling deprived emotionally, especially if food provided comfort.

Prevent it: Maintain a calorie intake above 1,500 per day, even if it slows your weight loss. Anything lower than that and it's difficult to fulfill all your nutrient needs. Check your intake of carbohydrates, which your brain needs to produce serotonin. Low levels of this brain neurotransmitter are thought to lead to depression.

III. The setback: Your craving for (fill in the blank) is out of control.
You've tossed all the takeout menus, avoided the vending machine and turned down party invitations because pizza, candy and cake aren't allowed in your diet plan. The trouble is, everywhere you look, you see pizza, candy and, yes, cake. If you want a food to take center stage in your life, ban it.

Prevent it: Lift the ban. If you like cheeseburgers, have one, but make it with lean meat and reduced-calorie cheese in order to stay within your plan. If french fries are an absolute must, include them, but have a smaller portion and account for the additional calories by scaling back elsewhere. Whatever you do, don't feel guilty. Guilt is one emotion that spells certain death for any diet.

IV. The setback: Your weight loss comes to a screeching halt.
Plateaus have two main causes. For one thing, as you slim down, you require fewer and fewer calories. Unless you're constantly readjusting how much you eat, you'll eventually reach a point of equilibrium between your calorie intake and your calorie burn. Second, consuming less food slows your metabolism slightly. Your body recognizes a shortage of food and begins to conserve more energy.

Prevent it: Lots of people hit plateaus because they're actually not eating enough to maintain a speedy metabolism. In fact, you burn 40% fewer calories a day simply by undereating. To find out if you're taking in enough, multiply your healthy target weight by 15 to get a rough calorie goal. For example, if your target weight is 125, you should be eating 1,875 calories per day. If you're hitting your goal and your weight still won't drop, hang in there. You probably won't see the scale move for at least a week. Sometimes changing your exercise routine helps. The good news is that plateaus are totally normal and your body will start to give in again.

October 17, 2005 in Weight Loss Motivation | Permalink