I’m sure you’ve noticed lately the sneaky Christmas
additions popping up in the shops. A few decorations, the odd subtle jinglely
bells sound effect on TV, a snowflake or two in Boots. It’s
moving in on us gently before we’re smacked in the face with it after Halloween
and bonfire night. Then all bets are off.
The 10 weeks ‘till Christmas count down is also the perfect
opportunity to start getting in on the diet guilt. It’s nearly party season
after all and those sparkly dresses won’t squeeze into themselves. Yes I know
you want to drink away the stress of the year after all your hard work, and a
cold evening just doesn’t feel right without a hot chocolate with lashings of
cream, and don’t get me started on the hot toddies, fondue and crusty bread
(just because), markets with churros and mulled wine... It’s the most wonderful
time of the year, unless you’re on a diet.
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I’m the worst for it. But then a lot of us are. Everyone I
talk to is either on a diet, has been on a diet, or knows they should be on a
diet. There are only a lucky few for whom their weight seems to stabilise beautifully
and naturally without any sort of control or intervention. ‘Bastards’ I hear
you cry!
But could these seemingly unnaturally jammy beings that
obviously exist on dust and water alone actually have something to teach us?
For years I have been convinced (or consumed more like) by the dieting culture.
If you’re fat, it’s your fault, and if you’re not losing weight well, you’re
just not trying hard enough dammit. I have possibly been on every diet known to man, and
explored all avenues, nooks and the cranniest of crannies of the research on emotional
eating, and still, the fact that I cannot get a grip on my weight drives me
insane.
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So what if we just ‘let go’?
Let go, like how much? Only a little bit you mean? Oh
sure, ‘Let go’, but stop at the government recommended daily allowance, right? ‘Let
go’ but not too much, surely…?
No, I mean, really. Let. Go.
How many of us would be willing to do that? To trust in the
wisdom of our bodies and truly accept where our weight fell without fasting, kale
or vacuum packed stew. Wouldn’t that be a novelty?
Well, actually it’s not. There are already lots of people on
this train – Anastasia Amour, Sarah Jenks, Caroline Dooner, many participants of the #bopo
movement, and researcher Gwyneth Olwyn particularly who provides some
extremely compelling and exciting science in this field here.
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The proven theory of weight set point (that is, the fact
that we are genetically and evolutionary programmed to stay within a set weight
range) is particularly galling for me as a seasoned dieter to find out, but
also extremely freeing.
Has it all actually been a complete waste of time? Have we
been forgoing the puddings and limiting ourselves in order to achieve our ideal
bodies, when in actual fact it’s our bodies which know best? Letting go and
really saying ‘fuck it’ then isn’t such a lottery as we think it is, and we
could even be heavier right now than we’re predisposed to be naturally because we’re always dieting and
restricting. What a revelation.
If it’s actually all the conscious and incessant interfering
which has screwed it all up, then the answer requires that we stop all the
thinking, and just. Eat.
Food for thought certainly, so, if like me you are a serial dieter - I urge you to do one thing today, and read this before signing up for another round of Weight Watchers.