Dieting and “lifestyle programs” can feel so seductive in a culture that tells you your body is wrong and needs to be fixed.But what does the science actually say about dieting for weight loss? Does it work? Is it sustainable? Does it improve our overall health? We’re diving into all of that and more in today’s post.Content warning: mentions of stigmatizing language around weight used in research, weight loss numbers New Year, New Me messaging is rampant at the beginning of the year and with that comes an onslaught of new year’s resolutions and diet companies’ marketing in full force.I’ve heard January referred to as “National Dieting Month” because so many diet / wellness / “lifestyle” companies (or whatever they are calling themselves these days) are pervasive this time of year, and many people are especially vulnerable to their marketing messages entering a new year.

What the $77B diet industry is not telling you is all of the research that shows diets don’t work in the long term.Because their bottom line relies on repeat customers – the same folks trying their program again, and again, and again.It’s helpful to know what the scientific literature says about dieting and weight loss but even more important (IMO) than research is YOUR lived experience.

Have diets worked for you in the past? How long did they work for? Did you end up eventually gaining the weight back? Have diets / lifestyle programs felt sustainable for you? Why or why not?

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