What is the Point of Dieting?

You have to wonder what the point of dieting is when so many people choose to go on a diet in order to lose weight only to end up heavier than before. It seems like such a waste of time, yet the diet industry continues to boom as overweight individuals desperately seek a solution to their weight problem. When you're desperate to lose weight you are generally prepared to try anything and to spend as much money as it takes to become slim. However, there is no quick-fix solution that will bring an end to all your weight issues.

Dieting seems like a reasonable idea, since you know that you can lose weight quickly by sticking to a diet plan that someone else has created. You may have heard about a particular diet from a friend or relative or read about it in a magazine and you think you may as well give it a try, since you have nothing to lose but weight! At first, you're extremely motivated because when you step on the scales you can see that your efforts are paying off. Gradually, though, your weight loss slows down and it becomes harder to stick to a diet and resist temptation.

This is when you're likely to abandon the diet and as you start regaining the weight you put so much effort into losing, you generally feel bad about yourself. Instead of getting back on track, you may well end up bingeing on all the food you have been denying yourself, despite knowing this is only going to make your weight problem worse. However, you can't seem to stop yourself and force yourself to get back on track, because eating junk food is comforting. You simply tell yourself that you'll deal with your weight gain some time in the future.

It may well be worth trying to lose a few pounds if you're overweight, but not if you're simply going to go on a diet again. Dieting will not help you adopt the habits that are needed for you to maintain a healthy weight, since it is only a temporary measure. When you're on a diet, the end of the diet is always in the back of your mind. To keep yourself going you think about getting back to normal and treating yourself to the foods you have given up temporarily, so that once the diet is over you make no effort to control your calorie intake.

You could find your weight yo-yoing up and down, depending on whether you are on a diet or not and this is not a situation you want to find yourself in, since it could be detrimental to both your physical and mental well-being. You are therefore better off deciding to give up dieting and, instead, concentrate on embracing healthier eating habits and getting more active, so that the emphasis is on improving your overall lifestyle rather than how quickly you can lose weight.