Why Slimming World & Weight Watchers Don’t Work
Diet clubs like Slimming World and Weight Watchers are organisations that promote unsustainable low calorie diets in order to lose weight.
For men and women, these low-calorie crash diets can lead to rapid weight loss at first, which is why so many people are lulled into the false belief that this is the only way to lose weight. However, the body reacts to this “famine” created by reducing calorie intake by downregulating energy expenditure. As a result, the rapid weight loss soon slows down and may even grind to a halt, even though the dieter eats less and less. This is our body looking after us because it thinks food is scarce & so protects our survival by preserving energy & slowing down weight loss. Essentially our body is trying to prevent us from starving to death which is what would happen if we continued to restrict our food intake over a longer period of time.
These popular ‘diet clubs’ that promote these restrictive, low calorie and low nutrient diets are such profitable businesses because they are designed to fail. They ensure rapid results in the short-term and weight regain in the mid to long-term thus ensuring customers continue to go back time and again. Research shows that not only do people regain the weight they lost but that often they gain additional weight too which puts them into a vicious, negative cycle. Not to mention the negative language used to discuss food (such as how many ‘sins’ a particular food is worth). A zero sugar soft drink may be 1 or no sin whereas a banana (which contains a lot of natural sugars) may be 3 or 4 sins. So the synthetic can of chemicals is being promoted as better for you than a piece of fruit which contains lots of beneficial nutrients such as potassium. What a toxic and unhelpful way of looking at nutrition and food. I’d take the banana over the can of sugar-free pop any day!
WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVE IF I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT?
The only way to lose weight healthily and (more importantly) to sustain that healthy weight once you achieve it is to do it slowly. Making small changes to diet and lifestyle that you can continue to implement indefinitely (and that doesn’t involve giving up all the good stuff either!). Why make all the effort to get to your happy weight if you can’t maintain it and end up right back where you started (or more often than not, worse off)?
Losing weight and feeling positive about your body is absolutely achievable if you have the right information and support to help you get there. Speak to a qualified Nutritionist for more information on how to achieve and sustain healthy weight loss.
EXERCISE
We all know that exercise is a key element to weight loss & overall good health. However, bear in mind that while cardio & endurance exercise is great for stamina, heart health and mood, it doesn’t do much for weight loss. After cardio we continue to burn energy off for around 1 hour (and we may lose muscle) whereas strength training causes us to continue burning energy for 48 hours afterwards. Muscle is metabolically more ‘expensive’ to maintain so the more muscle we have, the more energy (calories) we burn up even at rest. If you want to lose weight then resistance exercise & strength training is crucial.
The weights don’t need to be very heavy, it is just the style of exercise that better supports weight loss. And don’t worry ladies, you’re very unlikely to ‘bulk up’ and look butch by lifting weights so if that’s your concern (as it is was for me for a long time), then don’t worry. I can promise you won’t be a beef cake! I personally lift weights twice per week & do HIIT/cardio once per week & I have most definitely not bulked up. I’ve just gotten stronger and feel more toned – hurray!
If you’re unsure about the best approach to lifting weights or are worried about going in the gym on your own then I highly recommend working with a personal trainer, at least to begin with while you learn the ropes & make sure your form is spot on to avoid strain or injury, as well as to build confidence in the gym. Having a gym buddy who you can work out with is also really helpful as it feels less awkward/intimidating and is also really good accountability so you don’t miss your workout.
FOOD
If you’re trying to lose weight, be mindful of highly palatable food (cakes, biscuits, crips, anything processed) that are easy to overeat – in fact, they are designed for us to overconsume them. In stressful situations, we often reach for food that will quickly and effectively activate the reward centre in the brain because of the high fat and sugar content. In the short term, such foods provide satisfaction & pleasure, but in the long run, they increase the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and dementia as well as leading to weight gain and mood disorders. It’s a kind of self-medication of the brain in an attempt to briefly dampen the constant firing of stress hormones.
Reminder: hormonal fluctuations play a significant role in weight gain & weight loss. You might beat yourself up about lacking willpower but body chemistry is near impossible to beat. It always wins! The more overweight an individual is, the more grehlin (hunger hormone) they produce so they’re having to fight against their body. That’s why successful weight loss programmes should not only be focussed around small sustainable changes but should also address the problem both from a physiological as well as a psychological point of view. On the one hand, it’s about providing the right nutrients to enable hormone balance. On the other, it’s about reducing stressors in everyday life and the negative emotions triggered by stress, which lead to eating binges. These factors can vary from person to person.
OKAY, HOW DO I GET STARTED?
In my programmes, self-care, stress relief and relaxation are important pillars in weight loss and everyday health and wellbeing, alongside some exercise and a balanced, nutrient dense diet.
Eating is supposed to be fun & enjoyable whilst fuelling the body with what it needs to thrive. A simple plan to follow is needed, not one that would make life even more complicated and stressful. My plans are created with that in mind and are created for each individual person to best suit their health goals and nutritional requirements. They are flexible, the recipes are quick and easy to make and popular with everyone in the family and the best news – you can do it all without having to give up all the good stuff.
My programmes are designed to get results that stick. I don’t just provide easy to make recipes, but also the coaching support we each need to change our relationship with food for good and empower you to make healthier choices for you moving forwards. Creating new habits is hard. Breaking the habits of a life time is even harder. I’m here to help you do just that whilst enjoying your food, understanding your body & helping you to thrive. All without giving up the good stuff!
For more information about weight loss support, book your complimentary health review call now by clicking this booking link: Book Now — Go Live Well