The average American woman will spend 17 years of her life on a diet, but only a fifth of us will maintain weight loss for a year or longer. We’ve been told that our value is determined by our looks and, while we know that this is bullshit, we still tend to believe it.

When you prioritize weight loss over your health as a whole, it never pays off in the long run, and it can actually create additional metabolic problems. So you end up worse off than when you started. Excess weight is not a problem in and of itself, but instead it’s a symptom of whatever else is going on.

Mainstream medicine likes to treat each symptom individually, in a vacuum. Functional medicine and functional nutrition looks at where the problem is originating from and works to restore that foundational balance so that the symptoms can resolve. That’s why I’m so against the calories-in/calories-out advice we hear everywhere: it’s grossly oversimplified.

• Diets don’t teach you how to navigate everyday life without a structured plan.
• A meal plan won’t serve you well if you go out to dinner with family, a client, on a vacation, or really anywhere away from your kitchen.
• If someone is dictating what you eat, you won’t learn how to make empowered decisions that take your unique situation into account.

How do you learn to plan ahead and food prep in ways that will work for you?

• Move away from processed foods.
• Find what foods agree with you and don’t by paying attention to how you feel for a few hours after you eat.
• Don’t overly restrict yourself.
• Try switching to an organic version of a favorite processed food before trying to eliminate it entirely.
• Be kind to yourself and give yourself grace.

It’s not about perfection. It’s about being consistent and making choices that honor your body more often than not.

If you’re looking for support in reaching your health goals, schedule a free 30-minute Coffee Talk here to see if we’re a good fit to work together.

References:

Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders - Statistics

Diet culture is everywhere. Here's how to fight it

Special Diets Among Adults: United States, 2015–2018

Fad Diets: Lifestyle Promises and Health Challenges

Is Your HEC in Check? Hormones Vs. Calories by Dr. Jade Teta

Connect with me on Instagram @joliverwellness! DM me the words “Nutrition Edit” and I’ll add you to my close friends list, where I share exclusive content. You’ll be the first to know about upcoming programs and early access to my waitlist.

Music credit: Funk’d Up by Reaktor Productions

A Podcast Launch Bestie production