Have you ever wondered why when you go on a diet you put the weight back on and then some.

Have you ever wondered why you are sometimes so ravenous and no matter how much you eat you are still hungry?!

I read this book earlier in the year and in it lies the answers to these questions and more.

I thought I’d share my views and summarise what I took away from it.

It’s an interesting book that tries to explain why we eat too much (obviously) and the science behind it. I have to admit about 2/3rds of the book are pretty dry. It was quite scientific (actually probably not, but I’m not a scientist) but was pretty interesting all the same. It talked a lot about the chemicals in the body and the effect that dieting and food have on them.

Your weight set point

The main crux of the theory is that we all have a weight set point.. something which I had heard about but not really taken too much notice of if I’m honest.

The weight set point is the natural point to which your body defaults. If you weigh too much your body sends signals to your brain to eat less and vice versa. It’s affected by what you eat and also your environment (stress, convenience, abundance, time etc). If you eat normally (as per your ancestry) chances are that you won’t need to worry about your calorie intake. Your weight will fluctuate but you will always be around your weight set point.

The problem is that the western diet isn’t the food of your ancestors! Processed foods, full of sugar and fats have all but caused the obesity epidemic that we see in the western world. We all know that processed foods are bad for you and that cooking from scratch is the best thing that you can do. But of course, it’s easier said than done. Life, work, children etc all get in the way. Convenience is so easy to default to.

The impact of a diet

The type of food you eat has an impact on your weight set point due to the chemical cocktail that it produces in your body (I’m not going to go into it).

After some time, your weight increases and you decide to go on a diet. During the diet, you are restricting your body of calories and or types of energy. Essentially, your body thinks that It is going through a period of famine.

When your diet is over and you revert back to eating ‘normally’, your body thinks that it had better prepare for the next famine by increasing your set point so that you have energy stores to get through it. This increases the amount of food you need to consume and usually contributes to putting the weight back on and some more… you then decide to go back on a diet and you get trapped in a vicious cycle of famine and feast

The impact of your environment

It’s obvious to say, and I’m sure that you will have heard it before, but stress, lack of sleep, a busy lifestyle all contribute to your battle with weight.

Again, it’s the different chemicals in your body during periods of stress etc, that force your weight set point in the wrong direction.

I definitely notice the impact of the lack of sleep where, in the evenings, even after my meal I can find it very hard to resist foods or have a craving for sugar. Being tired also impacts my willpower to resist these urges.

Dieting should be banned

Dieting, in my view, should be banned. I’m not denying that it can give you results, however, it’s a quick and temporary fix. Often it results in the weight going back on, usually plus a little bit more. Dieting should not be viewed as a temporary fix but a lifestyle where consistently eating the right thing is the way you should be living. Now, I am not saying you can’t have anything bad… however, you just can’t do it all the time.

Being consciously aware of the different types of food and the amounts that you are eating and you are on the path to changing the bad habits.

Eating the right things is a difficult habit to form. Especially when everywhere you turn there’s a Krispy Kreme, Mcdonalds or KFC (my personal fave). Be prepared that it will take some time to achieve your goals but losing weight the right way, by consistently eating well, is the blueprint for maintaining a healthy weight. Yes, it may take you a bit longer to get there but you have more chance of keeping it off.

Here’s a link to the book on Amazon if you want to give it a go!

Success will only come when you understand which foods to eat. And it will only be sustained if that food tastes great and if you look forward to eating it – cooking is the best way to achieve this

– Dr Andrew jenkinson – Why we eat (too much)