Let's Talk Diets: Why They're Confusing and What You Really Need to Know
Do you know why diets don’t work?
No, it’s not because you don’t have the willpower.
No, it’s not because you’re too busy.
No, it’s not because you’re a loser and can’t keep a commitment to yourself. (Ouch – that one hurt)
They don’t work because they are confusing. There are over 100 different diets! How are you supposed to know which one, which way to eat, is right for you?
Maybe you don’t think they’re confusing?
Let’s look at a few of them…
Paleo – the only carbs you can eat are fruits and some veggies. It’s basically all animal protein and you aren’t allowed grains, legumes, diary, or sweetners.
Vegan – all carbs are allowed – all fruits, vegetables, and grains. Plant protein only – no animal protein and no eggs or dairy.
Ok – so right there are 2 completely opposite diets. How do you know which one to use?
Here’s one you may not have heard of Macrobiotic Diet – 60% of your diet is whole grains, 30% is vegetables, you can have nuts and seeds a couple times a week, and you can get your protein from tofu, miso, or seafood but only 2–3 times per week.
Remember the South Beach diet? There are 3 phases and starts with almost no carbs and 50% of the diet is animal protein.
There’s The Zone – you should eat within 1 hour of waking and within 1 hour of going to bed with 5-6 small meals a day with no more than 5 hours without food.
Compare The Zone to Intermittent Fasting! With Intermittent Fasting you would fast between 14–20 hours each day or fast for a full 24 hours once or twice a week.
And there are many more!
I have a sheet that lists out 100 different diets.
How in the world are you supposed to know what is right for you? What will help you be healthy and get to and stay at your ideal weight and have great energy?
According to Hillary McBride, PhD, too many people have told us how we should eat which woos us away from building a trusting relationship with our own body.
She goes on to say “We can begin to reclaim our agency and whole-person health by changing our relationship with food. The best, most evidence-based way to do this is through intuitive eating.” Paying attention to what our body is telling us – from the inside out.
McBride says, “While dieting seems to be about shutting down the body’s voice, intuitive eating is about learning to listen again.” Reconnecting with ourselves helps us experience health in a more holistic way.
Can you just feel your body relax? It’s not about restricting. It’s not about watching the clock to decide when we can eat. It’s not about living in denial or deprivation. None of those feel good and will set you up for failure.
But maybe instead of your body relaxing when I talked about trusting yourself, you felt your body tighten up. That’s okay – in fact it’s probably more common than the feeling of relaxing into intuitive eating.
Why is that? You may not trust yourself. You may even have “evidence” that you failed before when you “trusted” yourself.
McBride describes building trust with yourself like building a relationship with another person. “It requires a million little choices and tiny experiments to help us know we are in good hands with ourselves.” To be connected to ourselves, to be at peace with ourselves, will take time.
Give yourself some grace, some compassion, some love.
Remember we are not on this health journey alone. GOD promised that He would always be with us. In John 14:16-17 Jesus said
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” - John 14:16-17 NIV
The Holy Spirit will be with us forever. He lives with us and in us.
Learning to listen to our body, intuitive eating, trusting our body wisdom is not something we need to figure out on our own.
James tells us:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” - James 1:5 NIV
He will help us; He will guide us. One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 32:8
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” - Psalms 32:8 NIV
GOD shows us grace, shows us compassion, shows us love. We can follow His example of how we should treat ourselves.
What are a couple practical ways you can learn to listen to your body?
Here are a few ways listed in McBride’s book The Wisdom of Your Body
1. Honor your hunger and fullness – How do you know you are hungry? How does your body tell you you’re hungry? Honor that hunger and eat for energy. Honor your body’s cue for fullness. Eat until you are about 75% full (and yes, that takes practice).
2. Make peace with food – give yourself permission to eat without “shoulds” or “should nots” and don’t label foods, or yourself, as bad.
3. Discover what is satisfying to you – the quantity, taste, and texture.
4. Honor your health – nothing is perfect, but you can notice what you need as a body and what makes you feel good.
I invite you to a “challenge”….
Even if it’s just one time, eat a meal without distractions. Sit in a quiet place and pay attention to you and your food. What is the smell, what is the look, what is the texture, and of course, what is the taste. Really savor the meal – everything about it. How does your body tell you it’s full? Without judgment – just curiosity. Take a moment and try to describe it. McBride suggests imagining you were trying to tell someone who has never felt fullness. What language or imagery would you use?
You CAN learn how to trust yourself, but it probably won’t happen overnight!
Give yourself GRACE, my friend.
If you want to learn more about intuitive eating, CLICK here to download my free eBook “3 Keys to Intuitive Eating”. This eBook explores three transformative keys to Intuitive Eating, showing you how to listen to your body's signals and embrace foods that nourish both your physical health and your spiritual growth. By aligning your eating habits with the principles of God's design, you'll find balance and fulfillment in your relationship with food.
Discover a sense of calmness and freedom around food as you release the chains of rigid restrictions and dieting. Through the wisdom of Intuitive Eating and the guiding principles of your Christian beliefs, you'll learn to honor your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, treating it with love and respect.
If you know you want to make a change, that you want more from life, and you’re ready to set some goals, book a time for "From Dreaming to Doing: Faith-infused Visioning" a unique 90-minute visioning session that is guided by your Christian faith. From envisioning your dream to setting achievable goals and creating manageable action steps, this session integrates the principles of your faith without feeling selfish or guilty, empowering you to walk in alignment with GOD’s purpose for your life.
Dear readers and wellness enthusiasts, thank you for joining me on this journey toward a healthier and more faith-integrated life.
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Blessings on your journey!
Debra Loader is a Christian Health and Wellness Coach, a Christian Life Coach, as well as a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC). She helps women integrate their Christian faith into their health and wellness journey to find greater motivation and resilience. You can contact Debra at debra@debraloaderlivingwell.com or 810-287-4096.