We’ve all heard the statistic that 95% of people who lose weight by dieting will gain it back. And yet this does not stop us from trying! We could say, “hope springs eternal”, “I know it will be different this time”. Unless people are willing to really devote themselves to permanent, and serious changes in the way they live, almost everyone will regain the weight they lose.
Why is this so? The reasons are many and complex. Chief among them is the body’s ability to maintain homeostatsis, or equilibrium. The body has many mechanisms for maintaining the current weight, so that when you under eat, or eat less than makes you feel satisfied, the body releases a cascade of hormones and other substances from the brain and the gastrointestinal tract that cause you to feel more hungry. When you restrain what you eat, and feel less satisfied with your food, this builds up, and almost everyone will binge, or eat more than you plan to. This is normal, because the body will fight with you if you try to eat less than usual.
I’ve read the analogy with holding your breath. Try to hold your breath for 5 seconds. Not bad, huh? Now try 20 seconds, 40 seconds, one minute, or more. It gets harder, because your body will fight with you for air. It’s a reflex, and it’s supposed to happen. It’s the same with food. Feeling physically hungry is a cue from your body to eat, until you are satisfied or full.
You wouldn’t expect yourself not to breath. Why do you expect yourself to eat less and walk around hungry? Almost everyone who goes on a diet feels hungry some of the time. People tell me “If I just get through the first week, I’m OK.” But that first week is pretty awful!
