Busting Dieting Myths

I could chat all day about dieting myths.

From restriction to fake food to drugs that change your hormones, all for the sake of weight loss. Hardly anyone thinks about all the systems in their body when they are desperate, and the newest health coach on their Facebook feed makes claims that make them feel like they need certain products or supplements to be successful. Why do we all fall prey to these new health coaches with their vast claims?

There are so many issues with dropping weight too quickly in the first place, so I’m not sure why that even sounds appealing. Like, who wants to have to pay for a brand-new wardrobe anyway? 😉 I know there are reasons that people need to lose weight for better heart, vein, and metabolic health. I get it, but losing it too quickly is never the answer. 

These days, when I see someone dropping crazy amounts of weight, I wonder what kind of stress they’re under OR how long they’ve been taking Ozempic and how it’s making them feel. Let me be straightforward: I’m not judging because we can never understand the full scope of why people do things unless a long conversation is involved. I also am aware of the very real health reasons that people do take weight loss drugs. I consider if the benefit outweighs the risk. So, there are truly two sides to this. There is a time and a place for them for certain people in certain circumstances.

Here’s a short list of side effects of dieting:

• Dysregulating our fat storage. When we drastically cut our calories, our brains send signals to our bodies that we need to retain energy because of the famine our body thinks it’s experiencing (This is different from a mild calorie deficit).

• It causes severe mood shifts.

• Hair loss – Good hair only comes when the whole body is well. Cells are always turned over and used where needed; going to the hair is the last resort and a sign of a healthy body.

• Negative sleep patterns because of dysregulation of stress hormones. (If your blood sugar is low, you might also not sleep well.)

• Metabolic dysfunction

• Muscle loss

• Low self-esteem

• Essential nutrient deficiencies

• Dysregulated stomach acids

• Poor gut microbiome or dysbiosis

• Fatigue and low energy

• Mental strain and confusion. Food noise is a very real thing, and when you're constantly focused on what you can/cannot eat, it adds stress.

• Bloating, reflux, and other digestive issues

Some of the diets that are wreaking havoc on many people who come to CCN are: 

• Keto (extremely low-carb, high-fat)

• Intermittent fasting (eating only within a small window of time – this is different from not eating after dinner until breakfast the next morning).

• Optavia, formally known as Medifast

• Ozempic (Wegovy or semiglutide)

If you have stubborn weight to lose, there is usually a more serious underlying issue, which could be decades old! It’s not always just a hormone issue or slow metabolism. It could be insulin resistance or even trauma-related or undiagnosed disease, or even body or self-image issues. 

Getting to the root of issues in our body is like taking our car in for a full diagnostic. Sometimes, I wonder why we treat our possessions better than our temple. We keep running our bodies into the ground, never running diagnostic or just taping up the damage, rather than repairing the issues. We don’t tape cracks in our phone screens, so why do we do that to our bodies? Trust me when I tell you that a well-running body will get you farther than a car or a phone. It’s just changing our thought process behind it. 

Let’s get to the root of the issue. If you’re facing a severe health issue, don’t hesitate to reach out, even if it’s just extremely stubborn weight.