Stop Losing and Win is all about maintenance, and now we have new evidence that maintaining a healthy, manageable weight is a worthy goal. I conceptualize dieting as disequilibrium and maintenance as healthy balance. Dieting forces you to limit calories in order to reduce pounds, a condition your body must hate. Maintenance, on the other hand, is all about having enough, just enough.
Last week, Karen wrote about how, for every pound of weight loss, you lose up to a third of a pound of muscle. What other physiological and mental impacts does dieting have on our bodies and minds?
I think about how I have performed the rituals of dieting throughout my life. I always treated dieting as casually as brushing my teeth, and I’ve done it almost as frequently. Any and all weight loss was celebrated as a success, regardless of the reason, the method, or the harm done.
Can you diet in a healthy, balanced way, or are you off balance when you do?
In addition to muscle loss, dieting can be awfully hard on the gut. Both my brother and I developed serious digestive problems after going on a liquid fast. I lost 60 pounds but it took me three years to get back to normal. My brother never has normalized. Not only that, but I gained 50 pounds back.
And what about eating disorders? Anorexia and bulimia are almost the definition of disequilibrium. They caution us that dieting can be deadly.
So, what do I do? I am gearing up for a diet. I think I need to take off a few pounds, and so the ritual begins. If I do diet, it will be different this time. I will be kind to myself. I will take it very slow, be sure to get great nutrition, lift weights to minimize muscle and bone loss, and, most important of all, keep my balance.
Is there a way of taking off pounds that is safe for your mind and body?
Stop Losing and Win 