What I Learned When I Stopped Dieting

Like most women, I’ve dabbled in all sorts of different diets. What started as trying to reverse some health issues I had, low calorie and low carb stand out as the ones I yo-yoed with most frequently, peaking in my college years and throughout most of my 20’s. After that long of a time, in a society that is only perpetuating the idea of being on some sort of diet (typically disguised by being called a lifestyle, clean eating, or simply “being healthy”) the thought of giving up all of my old concepts surrounding food and weight maintenance wasn’t an easy one to adjust to.

After having the Aha Moment that my cycle of dieting didn’t add an ounce of positivity to my life, I figured trying something new and giving it up all together couldn’t hurt. So I began to experiment with NOT dieting, and I could’ve never expected the results I found. These are things that I’m continually experiencing now that I’m no longer a dieter, and they only reinforce that giving up dieting was one of the best decisions of my life.

I was able to say YES to more opportunities.

This was hands down the first and most exciting thing I learned, and also one of the driving forces behind continuing to say NO to dieting. Especially as someone who lives in New York, food/dining out is a primary social experience. When I first moved here I quickly learned that dining out isn’t as much of a special occasion like it is elsewhere – it’s something that happens at least a few times a week, if not daily (in most social/professional networks, at least). I decided that if I was going to live in this city, I wanted to embrace any and every opportunity to meet new people, enjoy myself, and live my fullest life. From dining out to parties, dating, traveling and everything in between – there was/is simply no room to let a silly diet dictate even the slightest possibility of missing out on any of those experiences. 

Side note: this is actually part of my “mission” with Hungry Blonde. It has always been so important to me to show that it IS possible to enjoy living a healthy lifestyle of balance that still includes going out, being social, and taking in every morsel of life.

It changed how I thought about exercise.

This was more of an unexpected result of giving up on dieting. Once I stopped “counting” my food, I realized that most other things in life don’t work like a bank account either, including exercise. I realized that the number of calories burned (or intensity, or incline) I saw on a machine didn’t really have an actual effect on my body the way I thought it did. But you know what did? Getting more sleep. Practicing stress reducing activities. Lifting weights. Exercising when I *gasp* actually felt like it.

I became sensitive to diet talk.

This is probably the least positive result of giving up dieting, simply because it just gets damn annoying. It has definitely gotten easier as time goes on. Initially when I heard others talk about dieting, I’d think “don’t you realize diets don’t work?! You’re missing out on so much life!” But to be honest, I rarely felt comfortable enough to say anything. These days, while I still find diet talk disheartening and honestly just sad, I can empathize more and remember what it felt like to be in that exact same cycle. I don’t always speak up, but depending on the situation I have learned how to bring Food Freedom/Intuitive Eating into the conversation in a way that is loving, supportive and understanding. And you know what? 99% of the time people want to learn more about how they can stop dieting too.

I sometimes miss the thrill of a new diet…but not enough.

As I discuss in another blog post, The Best Part Of Dieting is that sense of excitement and hope before you even start it. If I’m being completely honest, sometimes I miss that thrill. There’s nothing like that feeling of “I’m finally going to get my shit together,” and truly believing that everything is about to change. But there comes a time…probably after the 46987th time a diet failed…that you realize you were continuously believing a lie, and the cycle has to end once and for all. I’ve got to say, writing that blog post has acted as the best reminder to myself over the past few months when the diet dragon tries to sneak its way back in.

I didn’t gain weight.

Ohhh yes. The W word. The reason most of us begin dieting in the first place, but then refuse to admit that it’s something that matters to us. Well I have no shame admitting that my weight (well, more accurately my physique) is something that matters to me. It’s not something that rules my life, but I’m a young woman who loves to feel like my best & most confident self. So when I gave up dieting, obviously I was paying attention to that particular aspect.

For me personally, I think the overall reduction of stress once I gave up dieting is what actually led me to lose weight. Other things that I think made an impact: since nothing was off limits, I found myself eating less food because I was eating what I actually craved, rather than trying to fill the void (and eventual overeating) with healthy “approved” foods. Lastly, when I loosened up my exercise regimen and focused on building muscle rather than burning calories, my body responded by being less ravenous yet increasing my metabolism at the same time. I know – I used to think that was too good to be true too. But it’s not. Our bodies are way more awesome than we give them the credit for.

I’d love to learn more of your thoughts on this. If you haven’t yet, be sure to join the Food & Fitness Freedom Group on Facebook where we’re building an amazing community of likeminded gals discussing all sorts of topics!

Please note that I am NOT a health/medical/mental expert, and this is just my own experience/opinions. Please seek a professional before making any changes to your health routine.

You might also like:
Can Food Freedom And Health Goals Coexist?
Practicing Food Freedom on Special Occasions
The Best Part of Dieting
Dear Body
10 Healthy Habits That Have Changed My Life
I Stand For Food Freedom
What Food Freedom Looks Like In My Life