Dieting is like riding a rollercoaster. You wait in line for hours just to finally decide to start the diet. You begin and it is rocky. Finally you go down the hill throwing your hands in the air so excited that you are seeing the pounds fly off. Then you trudge uphill and hit a plateau. The flat part of the rollercoaster as it leads you to another drop. It seems like you are stuck forever putting along this part of the ride. Dieting will have these plateaus and not getting stuck in the rut during these times is essential to the outcome.
Think back to time when you were just hungry. Dinner seemed so far away and the hunger began to rip across your stomach. You became irritated, angry and anxious. Many dieters feel this way as well because their normal habits are interrupted. They are no longer eating the food filled with fats and the snacks filled with sugar. Their minds are confused and can get a bit antsy. Diet associated symptoms are caused by the decrease of serotonin in the brain. Seratonin is made when carbohydrates are eaten with little to no protein. Blood sugar changes react to a sudden calorie restriction. Some dieters may ask if this is a side effect then why even get on the ride? Life does not have to nosedive in order to lose weight. It can be done with a happy heart.
Dieting is about changing a lifestyle. It does not happen overnight because our minds do not work in this way. As the weight slowly falls away we will one day look in the mirror and smile. Having a good sense of how you see your body is very important. It is imperative to set realistic goals and give yourself ample time to reach those goals. The weight will fall off over time, but it is not going to suddenly jump out of your body after one day. Finding peace in this fact will help ease the anxiety.
Listen to your body. Eat when hungry, but do not eat out of boredom or anxiety. Always ask yourself if you are truly hungry. Make good choices for your body as well. Fried fish versus baked fish is a small decision that can come with big regret.
Exercise pumps up endorphins. Exercise for a bit and see if that will lift the mood. Imagine yourself walking off those pounds. It will put a smile on your face as you go through the motions.
Some people ride the diet rollercoaster all of their lives. They treat dieting as a diet rather than a lifestyle. Shoving butter in your mouth is not a lifestyle. If you laugh at that thought just remember as you are eating that piece of cake it is filled with a big ole stick of butter. The body runs on the food we put in it just like that rollercoaster runs on its little track. The ride will end once we realize keeping the weight off is just something we must work at each day. We must make right decisions and have the right goals in mind in order to stop the ride and enjoy the amusement park of life.
The Davisson Clinic
Diet by Design
Weight Loss Center
12900 Preston Rd. Suite 1250
Dallas, TX 75230
(972) 918-0000
dcdietbydesign@gmail.com
www.davissonclinicwellness.com
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