ConsciouS Eating

How are you doing on your New Year's resolution to lose weight? Are you 'beating yourself up" over having "failed" yet another diet? If so, you should know that you are not alone. Diets sound great because they play on our hope for an easy, quick solution to a long term problem but in reality they deceive us because diets don't work. They can help you be temporarily thin but as soon as you try to eat like a "normal person" your body returns to it's pre-diet size or worse!!!!!

This pattern of dieting only to regain the weight plus some is part of a cycle researchers are now calling the "Yo-Yo Diet Syndrome". This is a pattern where the sufferer diets to lose weight, regains the weight lost plus some added pounds. They repeat the cycle over and over so that over time the sufferer can actually gain weight eating as little as 500-800 calories a day. At this point in the cycle the sufferer's body has become more efficient in holding on to every calorie it receives so that weight gain is inevitable and maintenance of weight loss is impossible. That's why it becomes harder to lose weight with every round of dieting and harder to maintain any losses after the diet is over. Sufferer's of this syndrome often experience depression characterized by overwhelming feelings of shame, being out of control, failure and low self worth, and eventually extreme hopelessness. Most of these feelings come from not understanding that dieting is actually the problem and not the cure.

The health risks of this "Yo-Yo" diet syndrome are considerable. Research has shown that frequent weight fluctuations actually increase the risk of getting coronary disease or dying from it particularly for people between the ages of 30 and 44. This risk is greater than that found in people who gain but don't lose the weight (New England Journal of Medicine, June 1991). Because body shape and size are largely determined by genetics, trying to change your body to fit an idealized model figure guarantees failure. Strict diets or food deprivation experiences can lead to binge eating which not only causes weight gain but can also evolve into more serious eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
People who constantly struggle with their weight usually feel dissatisfied in other areas of their lives as well. Many women do not know how to take care of themselves. As a result they often have trouble managing their time and their finances and have difficulties feeling satisfied in their relationships and in their lives. These women who suffer from the "Yo Yo" diet syndrome tend to focus on other people's happiness while ignoring their own need for satisfaction. They often feel that if they could just be thin that there lives would be perfect and then they would be able to say or to do the things that would really make them happy, but as "fat" people they don't deserve or have a right to be happy. For some women the false sense of control that dieting gives them leads to a temporary boost in self-confidence, but this high is generally short lived, disappearing when things do not magically go better as they become thinner.

"Repeated dieting is really a search for answers", says Joanna Haase a therapist specializing in eating disorders. "Before permanent weight loss can occur we need to address the areas of our lives that feel out of control or unsatisfactory." Food is quick and dependable and often the only choice available for coping with stress and/or feelings. Many people cannot tell the difference between an emotional hunger and a physical hunger so they respond to both using food. As people learn how to take care of themselves they will begin to listen to their bodies to help them distinguish between feelings (fear, anxiety, boredom, anger, sadness, etc.) and true physical hunger. Once the distinction is made, it becomes easier to see other choices for dealing more effectively with the specific problem, which then results in an overall feeling of satisfaction. They learn to use food more appropriately, ie "eating to live rather than living to eat".

If dieting is not the answer and in fact is actually the problem, what can you do to have a healthier approach to your body? Dr. Carol Asada,a clinical psychologist specializing in eating disorders, stresses that there is hope. "Weight problems are very complex and need a multifaceted approach to effectively and permanently change people's relationship with food and their bodies".

DIETLESS is a comprehensive step-by step program designed to help people achieve permanent changes in how they approach food and eating. It was developed especially for people who have suffered from the "Yo-Yo" diet syndrome and are ready to understand the real reason behind their eating behavior. The program consists of a one day workshop followed by weekly small classes lead by a mental health professional with special training and experience in helping people with eating disorders. The weekly sessions are divided into three consecutive phases each with specific goals. The program uses materials specifically designed to customize the experience for each individual. For some participants completion of one or two phases of the program will be enough to achieve permanent changes. Other participants will benefit from the entire program.
Unfortunately, most popular weight-loss programs are designed primarily around controlling your food. The emphasis on controlling calorie intake perpetuates the "Yo-Yo" diet problem because the focus is on treating the symptom rather than solving the problem. DIETLESS is different because it is designed to help you resolve the real issues causing your weight problem. Only once those issues are recognized and resolved will you be able to take care of yourself without using food. At DIETLESS we believe it is possible to live a healthy, happy life free from the tyranny of food obsessions.

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