Don't Do This If You're Looking to Lose Weight
[Estimated watching time: 3 minutes.]
It's pretty common for people to come to Go Long with the goal of losing weight. In the initial conversation, the focus is ALWAYS on “what's your why”. It's been proven time and time again that ‘losing weight’ is less effective at keeping that weight off long-term than through other motivations.
We're going to cover:
Why consistency matters in hitting weight loss goals
The nuance between ‘eating disorders’ and ‘disordered eating'
How ‘disordered eating’ sabotages your weight loss goals
Why Consistency Matters in Food Intake
When I interviewed Dr. Jill Rubin Silverman last week, she talked about how body wants to know what is coming in and craves predictability - aka “The Groundhog Day” Diet. The reference is from a 1993 movie when “Phil Connors” gets trapped in an endless time loop on, you guessed it, Groundhog Day.
Leading up to the discussion of the “Groundhog Day” diet was Dr. Jill talking about the differences between ‘eating disorders’ and ‘disordered eating’. These are two very different concepts that are worth discussing.
More of us are likely familiar with ‘eating disorders’ such as anorexia and bulimia. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) estimates nearly 9% of the US population will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. This equates to roughly 28.8 million Americans. Females are disproportionately affected, with estimates suggesting 15% will experience an eating disorder by their 40s or 50s, compared to 2% of males.
Disordered eating often remains unreported and undiagnosed. Unlike formal eating disorders with defined criteria, disordered eating habits might not meet the full diagnostic threshold or individuals might not seek help.
“It is estimated that 20-30% of women and 10-20% of men might engage in ‘disordered eating’ behaviors at some point in their lives.”
This is based on several studies published in various medical journals, including "International Journal of Eating Disorders," "Journal of Adolescent Health," and "Public Health Nutrition."
Disordered eating can include unhealthy weight control practices, emotional eating, and restrictive eating patterns. Certain populations, like athletes, dancers, or people with weight stigma experiences, might have higher rates of disordered eating.
FACT: Disordered Eating Leads to Weight Gain
As you can see, the numbers are higher for disordered eating. So let’s focus on that for now. Many of Go Long’s clients ask for help on losing weight.
What you want to understand (and watch Dr. Jill on the video) is that when you engage in disordered eating, it forces the body to horde calories. You’re accomplishing the exact opposite of what you want to achieve.
Why?
Your body doesn’t know when it is coming next. So it is thinking ‘feast or famine’ literally and figuratively.
Whatever your goals are, figuring out how you can maintain that balance between eating a healthy mix of foods while enjoying yourself is critical. Depriving yourself isn’t the answer and can have serious consequences.
If you’re looking to figure out how to have a better approach to food consumption, schedule a call.
Go Long can help.
If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, here are some resources to check out:
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): 1-800-931-2237
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD): 1-847-831-3438
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): 1-866-615-6464
This is not meant to be medical advice. Before starting any program around wellness, you should check with your medical team.