6 reasons you struggle with diets
Probably nothing in the world arouses more false hope than the first four hours of a diet - Dan Bennett
If sticking to a diet was easy, everyone would be slim. So why is it that we struggle to stick at our diets for longer than a week? Why do we promise ourselves we’ll have just one biscuit and then go and scoff the whole packet? Why do we need to attend slimming clubs to find the motivation to lose weight? One thing is for sure - your local Indian takeaway has nothing to fear from your “last ever curries”!
Most dieters rely on the same old formula for achieving weight loss - go on a strict diet and summon up the willpower to overcome the feeling of hunger. The slimming industry supports this formula by trying to sell us appetite suppressants, as do the food manufacturers by promoting cereals, yogurts and snacks to ‘help keep you fuller for longer’.
If only it were as simple as just overcoming hunger. The truth is that our appetite is only one of six very powerful triggers that encourge us to eat. The other 5 triggers often trigger us to eat when we have no sensation of hunger at all. In fact, they often trigger us to eat even when we are completely stuffed! These triggers are known as the ‘pull triggers’ and the ‘push triggers’.
The 3 Pull Triggers - Appetite, Habit and Emotion. They are called ‘pull triggers’ because they are internal triggers that pull food into our bodies. They are the result of hormones and chemicals within our bodies that make us feel hungry (appetite), crave sugary foods (habit), and even drive us to binge (emotion).
The 3 Push Triggers - Environment, Culture and People. They are called ‘push triggers’ because they are external triggers that push food into our bodies. For example, when we eat at a restaurant (environment), during certain times of the week or year (culture), or when we are around friends and family (people).
The rise of obesity has little to do with having a slow metabolism, genetics or even a lack of willpower. It is because nowadays we are exposed to more and more of these overeating triggers.
- Busy lifestyles mean we don’t have time to eat regularly (appetite).
- Research has proven that high-sugar foods are addictive (habit).
- The stress of modern life often drives us to comfort eat (emotion).
- We are surrounded by high fat and high sugar junk food (environment).
- Eating and drinking is a frequent part of our social lives (culture).
- There is huge pressure to accept the foods offered to us (people).
If you are overweight and you always fail to stick at your diets, the chances are it is due to a combination of these 6 triggers.
Liam
Personal trainer at The Slim Company - personal trainers in hertfordshire