This is not a diet plan

The term dieting refers to a period of time in which an individual makes certain changes to the way they eat in the pursuit of a desired end outcome. There are two big problems with dieting. Let’s examine them: 

1. Diets are, by definition, temporary: Diets often call for extreme actions such as vast calorie restrictions, eating only pre-packaged shakes and meals, moving to a liquid-only diet or reliance on the consumption of a single food item. Extreme measures like this are unsustainable; inevitably the diet either runs its course or the restrictive nature of the diet forces a deviation because it's just too much. This means that no new behaviour has been learnt. There are only two behavioural patterns established. Firstly, the lifestyle, habits and food intake that got you to the point where such an extreme diet felt like your last recourse in the first place, and secondly, the extreme dieting behaviour that has proved itself unsustainable. It’s no wonder then, that almost all progress made on a diet is immediately undone as soon as the diet is finished as you will continue to flip from one pattern to the other. This is not only demoralising.
2. Diets measure the wrong things: Diets only pursue weight loss. This is a very unsophisticated approach to health. If your diet would happily see you lose muscle in the pursuit of a change on the scale, you should avoid it at all costs. Weight fluctuates on a daily basis and you need your muscle mass to maintain an optimal metabolism. If the scale is the sole arbitrator of your success, this is known as a ‘race to the bottom’ because with that approach you will reach a point where at a plateau the only variable to control is caloric intake, so you just eat less and less until you burn out and have to bounce back to old habits, no good!

Essentially diets teach that the only marker of success is weight and the only variable that helps you make progress is eating less. This is a really unhealthy way of looking at health and fitness, and not how I work at all. We will be seeking optimal health and a sustainable, lean, fully functional body that can be maintained year-round.

Tip: did you know that hormone levels, salt intake, carb intake, stool movements and water intake can all make your weight fluctuate daily? This has no bearing on your composition so using it as your marker of success can be very frustrating. Weigh yourself sparingly, perhaps once per week at the most under the same variables each time.