Still dieting huh? I do indeed have a list of what I consider to be the top 5 dieting tips, of all time, in the history of man, since the 7th day… you get the idea. The number one reason most people around the world start a diet is to lose weight, right? UCLA researches found that typically people who chose to diet initially lose 5-10 percent of their starting weight within the first six months. Then of course those participants who enlist in a “diet” not only gain that weight back but eventually pack on additional weight. “Several studies indicate that dieting is actually a consistent predictor of future weight gain,” said Janet Tomi yama, a UCLA graduate student of psychology and co-author of the previous mentioned study. In fact, in a recent New York Times article Dr. Hamdy, director of the Why Wait program at Joslin, concluded that people with an initial BMI of 45 Kg/m2 or higher who lost weight are more likely to regain most of that weight back. Who wants that? As a health and wellness consultant I witness countless people who have battled body composition their whole life. Its astounding the number of people who have said “I did lose some weight but I put it right back on”. The weight train stops here my friends. STOP! Want to love your body? Here are 5 simple things you can do to jump off the yo-yo dieting roller coaster for good:

1. Stop being concerned with being fat. Worried about what everyone else thinks/sees? Concerned about what to wear? Stressed about the sweetie you ate? And everyone around you dreading the words as they pass your lips “Do I look fat in this?”. Stress, of any kind, causes a release of cortisol, which cause an increase of insulin, which lowers blood sugar, which makes you want to eat comfort food. Stress wreaks havoc on your body in more ways than one, but chronic stress is a literal killer. STOP, its not serving anyone, especially not your body.

2. Stop eating “diet” foods. Foods that are labeled fat free/sugar free/ low calorie are often loaded with harmful chemicals and artificial ingredients that are actually keeping you from releasing unwanted weight.

3. Stop your quest for the “magic pill/quick fix”. Tomorrow will come and go regardless if you are fat or thin, muscular or scrawny, so what better way to spend that time then doing the best things for your body for as long as you own it? This goes hand in hand with “I’m starting to take care of myself uh…..Monday.” Which becomes “next Monday”, which turns into “next year I’ll meet this resolution for sure, but for now I’m eating loads of cheesecake.”. Cease the day, start today, do it EVERY day.

4. Stop obsessing over food. Easier said than done, I know. Many conditions have formed around food such as orthorexia nervosa, bulimia, anorexia, and so on. Wanna know why the French and English are far less fat than us and still eat fantastic food? There are too many reasons to list, but for starters, they relish their food! People who really enjoy their food savor every sip, lick, and indulging bite. Taste your food. Respect your food. Be a foodie (I know I am) with every meal and then go live your day and forget about the food you ate or will eat.

5. Stop dieting, make a lifestyle change that you can continue for the remainder of your years. If you make a shift in your eating pattern and 2 months later all you can think is “when will this tormenting culinary ride to hell finally be over?!!?” then there may be some other changes to consider making so your food works well for you. Really strive to check in and listen to your body. Even asking your body (not your emotions) if it would like a particular food. Give every change a fighting chance as well (2-4 weeks should give you a good idea if your body enjoys a certain food or not). Be objective and observant so you can make future changes.

There you have it folks! So it may not be the best created list since the 10 commandments BUT it is a simplified place to start. You can do this! Just take you step each day. I’ll be here cheering you on.