Stop dieting; it's not gonna work!

Think of 'weight loss' or 'becoming healthy', I bet the first thing that came to your mind is - 'A diet plan'! However, almost always, a diet plan fails!

In fact, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that after two years, the majority of dieters had regained the weight they had lost. So, why do diet plans fail to produce lasting results? How can one achieve long-lasting results when it comes to weight loss, health, fitness & well-being?

Diet plans often rely on willpower and self-control to stick to the plan. However, willpower is a finite resource and can easily be depleted by stress, fatigue, and other life demands. Also, they do not address the underlying psychological and emotional factors that contribute to overeating and weight gain. Many people turn to food as a coping mechanism for stress, boredom, or other emotional issues. A diet plan that only focuses on the physical aspect of weight loss will not address these underlying emotional issues and may not be successful in the long-term

Let's start by analysing the feeling invoked by the word 'diet'. A diet is restrictive; it is like a punishment, you can't have your favourite food - you basically don't have a social life! This is why I prefer the word 'nutrition' instead of 'diet'

'Nutrition' has a positive connotation to it! It is about nourishing the body, it is about feeling good and better. Such a regimen would also fit into what I call - 'The 3S of Lifestyle Change'

The 3S of Lifestyle Change

Any lifestyle change that you embrace will not be successful unless it fits into 'The 3 S' framework. They are -

1. Sustainable
2. Sensible
3. Scientific

S1 - Sustainable

What is the point in being on a diet and not able to eat a piece of cake, on your loved one's birthday!? One should learn to have occasional indulgences and yet progress towards their health goals. Such a lifestyle plan has a significantly higher chance of long-term success

There is no point living every day for a tomorrow, and never ever living a today!

But sustainability is a lot more than just about occasional binge eating or enjoying a social life. Let me explain that with an example - let's suppose, we ask you to have 4 slices of bread and a whole egg, as an egg sandwich for your breakfast. For how many days can you have such an egg sandwich for breakfast? (even if it is your favourite food) For sure, you will get bored after a week. But, what if I tell you that you may replace 1 whole egg with 25 gms of panner or 1 cheese slice, and 4 bread with 3 phulkas! Your options are now - egg sandwich, panner sandwich, vegetable sandwich, phulka and egg curry/panner curry and so on!

Is the protein quality (and quantity) exactly the same between an egg and paneer? Similarly, is the carb quality the same between bread and a phulka? It is not! But then, worrying about such smaller things becomes analysis paralysis in the larger scheme of things. As long as you include ample vegetables (fibre, vitamins and minerals) and adequate protein, and also bring in variety in these choices, you need not worry about such smaller details.

This is how you make your nutrition plan sustainable. For sure, you will not feel this restrictive, or boring anymore.

S2 - Sensible

Truth be told - 95% of the food cannot be classified as good or bad. Whether it is good or bad depends on many other factors such as - how much of it you consume, what else you eat along with it, medical conditions, frequency, and a lot more.

We are quick to label brown bread to be healthier than white bread. But remember, white bread with paneer as a sandwich and vegetables by the side is healthier than brown bread with maple syrup/jam.

Similarly, I'd rather have white rice with adequate sabzi (leafy and fibrous veggies) and protein (lentils, pulses, lean meat) for lunch, than brown rice with some pickle. For many of us, the 80-20 rule holds true in our food choices. the 20% changes that you make in your lifestyle, alone, can bring you 80% of the desired results One only needs to be sensible

In short - do not demonise food. Food is food; some nourish the body in a better or different way than others. When it comes to healthy food, both quantity & quality of calories matter!

Even the world's healthiest food (organic, natural, unprocessed) if you consume more than your calorie expenditure, you will gain weight and end up with fatty liver or high cholesterol.

That being said - there is a small group of food that does more harm than good. Eg - junk food, deep fried food and reheated oil, transfat, overdose of high glycemic sugary drinks and juices etc.

S3 - Scientific

'Reduce carbs - increase protein & fibre - workout for an hour' -- this is a very simple fitness approach to becoming healthy and managing a disease such as diabetes. Such an approach may work for someone who is in their 20s.

But a scientific approach would entail checking the s.creatinine, s.uric acid and urine albumin before increasing too much protein for a chronic diabetic person. In other words, checking for kidney health is important before loading up on protein shakes to lose weight or control blood sugar. A person with gallbladder stones should reduce fat, a person with auto-immune markers may have to reduce gluten so on and so forth.

This is relevant even when it comes to exercises. It would be such a bad idea for a person with rheumatoid arthritis to go skipping and jogging or do mountain climbers. A person with piles or inguinal hernia, should not perform a heavy squat or deadlift in the gym.

Nutrition & Exercises are 'science'. Unless the lifestyle change does not hold a scientific temper, there is a very high chance that it will do more harm than good in the longer run

It's like driving a car!

Learning a healthy lifestyle change is like learning to drive a car! It was a little overwhelming in the beginning - you need both your legs, hands and eyes. But over time, you realise that it is your second nature to drive a car. Also, you need not know how a car engine works to drive it; once you sit driver's seat, you have the entire car perimeter and how it responds to stimuli (break, accelerator, etc) in your subconscious. Similarly, you need not learn the science of dietetics or exercise to lead a healthy life. You only need to know the basics of it in a sustainable, sensible and scientific manner so that you can become healthy and also enjoy the process!

Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too!

About NuvoVivo

NuvoVivo is an online health & fitness company that helps their clients from across the globe to manage lifestyle diseases, viz. diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, PCOS, thyroid disorders etc through scientific, sensible and sustainable lifestyle changes.

Learn more about NuvoVivo @?https://linktr.ee/nuvovivo

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