Dieting Causes Binging

I met a new friend for lunch at a nice restaurant today. Our server was a lovely young woman who started a conversation with us. We found out that she was avoiding desserts and carbs because she was getting married shortly, and was “watching her weight”. I am telling you – I saw ME back when I was her age, all over again. A perfect body, but a young woman insecure about how she looked, and trying to change herself with a diet.

I told her that DIETING causes binging- and ultimately it will cause you to gain weight. “WHAT??Why?” she asked.

“Because the things you resist persist,” I explained. “You will never binge on broccoli, because you will never tell yourself you ‘shouldn’t’ eat it. But ice-cream, chocolate, cake…. the things you think you shouldn’t eat are the things you want! Binging causes weight gain, not having your ice-cream, chocolate and cake – a little bit at a time. When it’s not forbidden, you know you can have it another time, and you don’t end up binging on it. And, btw, don’t ‘should’ on yourself”!

Chronic Dieting is Stressful

And you know what “watching your weight” will do? It will start her on the slippery slope of chronic dieting which will result in gaining weight each time you diet. Just like what happened to me, and the countless women I speak with. Losing weight wasn’t the problem. Maintaining it was impossible. Dieting suppresses your metabolism by putting your body in a state of stress. Over-exercising just adds insult to injury. The harder you exercise, the hungrier your body makes you to put back those calories you lost. And just like they said in Star Trek: “Resistance in Futile” because you’re fighting Mother Nature.

I was lucky that my disordered eating didn’t turn into full blown anorexia nervosa or bulimia! But in the extreme, that’s exactly what can happen. And those eating disorders KILL more young women than any mental disease. If this is your issue PLEASE get help right away!

I hope my new friend (also a yoga instructor, Naomi Judith, who also focuses on body acceptance) and I were able to open her eyes, by telling her Truth about dieting – and being happy and accepting your body. But you have to be ready to hear it… and all I can do is hope I’m getting through and making an impact. (I gave her a big tip!)

Your tip: focus on things outside of your body and what you look like. Youthful appearance lasts only so long, and hopefully you will have a long life when WHO you are and what you can give to others from your heart and soul is so much more important that simply what you look like! Looks are only skin deep- and a very shallow way to judge others.