Diets and Psychology

Products like Noom and Simple.life are raking in big bucks right now betting on you to follow them blindly! They make some pretty grandiose claims! “No food is bad food” claims Simple. And “Lose weight eating anything you want”. That’s a very dangerous statement to make. They suggest why “fad diets” don’t work and why their plan (also a fad diet) does!

While they are not entirely wrong, fad diets don’t work. There is a reason for it too. For one, the word “diet” alone is wrong. Diet implies a short-term modification to the intake of the foods you consume. Despite popular belief, diet is not (and should not ever be) synonymous with good health. Diet is a bad word. Remove it from your vocabulary. Replace it with Lifestyle and you’re already ahead of the game.

The Goose & The Gander

The other problem with these companies is that they create these generic plans, despite the fact that they claim its made “just for you!”. I’ve joined several of these types programs just to see what they offer. I wanted to be able to analyze for myself, to gauge the likelihood of the program’s success. What I found, after talking to other members, is that the meal plans are pretty much all the same. The problem with that is, what’s good for the goose is not always good for the gander. We are all different and therefore our plans should all be different, according to our bodies, and our minds.

This, however, is not the case. These companies don’t ACTUALLY take into account your own biological metrics, even though they claim they do. They provide a false sense of security when they send you off to complete a little quiz during sign-up. They ask you all kinds of questions including: your age, weight, foods you like, and your activity level. However, they are not actively calculating that into the meal plan! What you don’t see, is that the meal plan is already drawn up before you even begin the quiz. They are lying to you. They are taking your money and then slapping you in the face all at the same time.

Beware of False Claims!

Ultimately it comes down to simple common sense. Losing weight does not equate to good health either. I’m sure you’ve seen these claims “I lost 8lbs the first week!” or “I lost 25lbs in one month” or as Simple.Life claims “I can reach my target weight in 30 days!” (Btw, my target weight is another 35lbs). It’s just a marketing scheme. Losing 8lbs in a week or 35lbs a month is not only unhealthy, it’s downright dangerous! It’s healthy to lose 1–2lbs a week. So in a month you could expect lose 8lbs — but not in one week.

This next false claim is my favorite “Lose weight and still eat whatever you want!” The Simple.life program actually tells you that during the sign up process. That is completely ridiculous. We already know that sugar, carbs and certain fats are what make us unhealthy. Those also happen to be all the really yummy foods (cake, ice cream, chocolate, cookies, pop/soda, bread, and pasta). You cannot honestly expect to eat these foods and remain healthy.

The other false claim they have posted during sign-up is “No food is bad food”. Also a big fat lie. Let’s revert back to that last paragraph, shall we? Cake, ice cream, chocolate, cookies, pop/soda, bread, and pasta are all bad for you. (Not all bread, not all pasta, I know! I’m generalizing for the sake of my point). Sure, you may lose weight by eating them in small amounts, but you won’t be healthy! There is a difference. Skinny does not mean healthy. You should never “go on a diet to lose weight and get skinny”. You should change your lifestyle to lose weight and become healthy!

Change Begins With YOU!

First, let’s unpack that last sentence in the previous paragraph. You should change your lifestyle to lose weight and become healthy! You need to forget everything you already know and start from scratch. I know, I know! You’re busy and you don’t have time for this! All I can say to that is that you need to bloody well make time! Health is wealth man. That’s all you got! If you can’t make time for that, then you have bigger problems to deal with first.

If you are someone who struggles to make time for yourself or does not put yourself first, then please allow me to highly recommend that you join the #solodatechallenge. The idea is founded by Holly Hartman who is so super inspirational and works super hard to help you rediscover who you are by dating yourself. It’s completely focused on taking time for yourself, to love yourself, care for yourself and put yourself first. This just may be the jolt you need to change your diet to your lifestyle!

There is a huge correlation between food and psychology. We eat comfort foods when we are down. We crave sugars when depressed or bored because it’s a widely known fact that sugar gives us a dopamine hit (the “happy” chemical in our brains) that makes us feel better. So, we need to be aware of the triggers we have in our lives that engage those sugar cravings.

Step 1: Learn Your Body/Brain Connection

Most of us don’t do this and this is why we fail. It’s ok to make mistakes, its ok to eat a piece of cake at someone’s birthday or wedding. It is not ok to eat a whole cake because you and your partner had a fight and now you’re down and out.

Know what triggers your cravings. It’ll also be helpful to know what foods your body reacts badly to (ie. dairy, gluten, etc). Keep a log for about a month prior to making any changes if you’d like. This will teach you how you eat and why you eat. Are you a boredom eater? A sad eater? A survival eater, or a health eater? Do you eat late at night? What sparks that craving? Understanding why/when you consume food is the biggest hurdle to overcoming any dietary changes you wish to make (and have stick) for long periods of time.

Also, take into consideration what your lifestyle is like. Do you need high protein and low carbs (anyone who is looking to lose weight and work out should). Maybe you have health issues to consider. Do you have other physical or mental needs to consider or address? Educate yourself on what your body should be taking in based on your health, your triggers, and your end goals. Knowing your body and your mind is the most important step.

Step 2: Ditch the Junk!

Remember, we are not just aiming for weight loss here. We are aiming for overall health. So, ditch all the junk food, the processed foods and anything that is made in a factory. Stick to real foods. Whether you choose to go vegan or carnivore or Mediterranean, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure it’s real foods found in nature. The least processed foods are the healthiest. If you put sugar in your coffee, maybe replace it with raw unpasteurized honey instead. If you are a big toast eater in the morning, eat a 14-grain (whole) toast instead of white bread. Eat oatmeal with berries in place of cereal. Or better still, replace it with a veggie omelet and some fruit.

Step 3: Drink lots of water

The rule of thumb here is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water a day. For example: if you weigh 180lbs — then you should drink 90oz of water. This is hard to do! Even I struggle greatly with this! Note: this does not work when measuring in kg. It HAS to be in pounds. So find a good old google converter if need be and drink up!

Why do we drink so much water? It helps to flush your body of chemicals and toxins for one. It also helps to keep you feeling full longer. And it also helps to curb the cravings. Plus, it keeps you nicely hydrated and that is very important too.

Step 4: Get up and Get Moving!

Ugh. Exercise. We love to hate it! But the reality is that we were not designed to sit around all day. 30–60 minutes of good exercise a day is all you need. This is the crucial part that we struggle with the most. This is also where you will grow as a person. Pushing yourself to do something you loath will strengthen your will, your determination and your grit. Once you begin to workout, you feel like crap during the workout, but you feel great after the fact and you’ll be so proud of yourself for pushing through it. It doesn’t have to be intense either… a 30 minute brisk walk after dinner is all you need.

Conclusion

You don’t need a fancy app, a diet program, or a meal plan to be successful in changing your lifestyle. What you need is an understanding of your own body/mind connection, some real foods, and some exercise. It’s not that complicated! Yes, it involves a lot of work on your end, but quite being lazy! No one is going to do this work for you and it’s super important. Taking the time out for yourself to figure this out and implement a plan is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your family. Live long and prosper friends!