by Ann Major

Created on: January 18, 2010   Last Updated: July 05, 2011

Dieting doesn't work because it is often done in isolation, with total disregard to exercising, managing stress and developing a better understanding of how food is processed in the body. Recognizing that dieting can become an addictive situation, just as your obsession with food is an addiction, we need to look at the factors which sabotage dieting efforts.

Constant dieting does not work because you are not aware of why you eat, not educated on when you should eat, where, what, and how you should eat. Unless you understand the reasoning behind various dieting strategies, you are doomed to failure.

Dieting Without Exercise:

These two elements are co-joined like Siamese Twins. Diet and exercise work in tandem. Dieting alone will slow down metabolism as the body goes into starvation mode. Dieting with exercise will jump-start the old furnace and begin the burning process on calories.

Dieting Without Stress Management:

If chronic stress is not managed, it will undo dieting efforts every time. When the body is stressed, it goes into a "fight or flight" syndrome, secreting a stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is involved with glucose metabolism. Too much cortisol in the bloodstream will make you eat more, especially foods high in calories. This in turn gets turned  into abdominal fat, leading to numerous health issues. By managing your stress and getting a good night's sleep, you can lower cortisol levels, and therefore potential weight gain.

Dieting and Food Science:

All foods are not created equal when it comes to dieting. Knowing the difference between good and bad foods will aid in making informed choices.

Fat vs. Carbohydrates -  It takes twice as much energy to burn fat as it is to metabolize carbohydrates, so limit the intake of fats when dieting.

Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrates -  A colony of ants would not touch a mound of white crystalline sugar because they know this devitalized food cannot sustain life.  The lesser foods are processed, the more nutrients we will gain, so always aim for foods which contain wholewheat or whole grain and is not white (rice, pasta, potatoes, flour, sugar).

Cooked vs. Raw - Raw foods contain valuable digestive enzymes which aid in the processing of foods in our body.  By eating more raw foods, the body burn more fat because fresh fruits and vegetables are low in calories; high in fiber/vitamins and minerals; helps reduce cravings for sweets; keeping energy levels high. Try eating

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