By Jessica MacKenzie
Edited by Randy Tsubane
When 2022 started did any of the following thoughts cross your mind: “I am going to try a diet to lose weight” or “If I cut out this food, then I’ll drop a dress size”. If you answered “yes” to either of the two questions, then keep reading.
In January 2022, 45% of adults globally reported that they are currently trying to lose weight. Of this, 20.4% of dieters count calories, 15.9% use diet products, 12.4% count calories and track their exercise, 11.9% follow a fad diet, and 9.7% use meal replacements. The result you ask? 80% of dieters are unsuccessful at keeping this weight off over a long period of time. Looking at these statistics, we can safely say that we’ve got a serious dieting problem.
As a child, I remember the first time I looked at my body thinking, “I am fat and I don’t look like the other girls my age”. I was only 6 years old at the time. I was nowhere near being overweight, however, I had convinced myself that my little body needed changing.
This mindset spiraled into years of disordered eating. Name it, I had tried it. I know what it’s like to lose all control with food and to also be so controlling that I would count every calorie even, a multivitamin. It has taken me years of learning to accept my body and to teach myself how to have a healthy relationship with food.
I decided to study Dietetics in order to help people who, like me, have struggled with their relationship with food and their bodies. With my background in disordered eating, I know exactly what kinds of thoughts come into a disordered eater’s mind and this is what enables me to give my clients the best possible treatment.
As a Registered Dietitian, I am against dieting. I believe that how you eat should be consistent and you shouldn’t have to eat a certain way for a specific period of time, but it should rather be a way of life. I also believe in an individualised approach to helping my clients, as we all have different medical histories, different goals, nutritional needs, food preferences and resources.
Here are 7 tips on how to break the dieting cycle, and start eating healthier:
Stop dieting! If diets worked, then you wouldn’t have to start a new one every few months.
Focus on small habits over the number on the scale. Forming healthy, sustainable habits will be more beneficial than fixating on the scale.
Eat foods that you actually enjoy. If you can’t stand broccoli, then don’t force yourself to eat it. Find healthy recipes for foods that you enjoy - you will be more likely to eat them.
Allow yourself an occasional treat. If you feel like ice cream, then have it every now and then. When we restrict treats, that is often when we end up binging on them.
Ensure that you drink enough water because it’s so important. Sometimes when we don’t drink enough water, we tend to eat more, as our bodies confuse thirst with hunger.
Find an exercise that you actually enjoy. We should all be exercising, but finding one that you actually enjoy is the key. If you exercise to enjoy it, instead of losing weight, then you will be more likely to keep it up.
Plan ahead! If you know that you are going to be out all day, then pack yourself some healthy snacks to ensure that you don’t binge on the closest takeaway restaurant.
These are general tips and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another.
I would love to work with you to better your relationship with food and to help you find food freedom. Remember, life is too short to be scared of ice cream.
Find me at:
Instagram: @justjessnutrition
Website: www.jessicamackenzie.co.za