Dieting Increases Weight and Cortisol Levels

Nicki Anderson

Nicki Anderson

0
I think we can all agree (for those of us who have dieted) that being on a diet is stressful. You find yourself thinking of food 24/7 and when the weight doesn't fall off we become, well, stressed. The more stressed we become, the more likely we are to eat. Although we all know that exercise is the best remedy for stress control.

However a study came out that shows dieting may actually be the reason for weight gain or weight loss woes. For over 25 years, I've witnessed this. Who are the most successful at weight loss? Those that FINALLY give up crazy diets and adhere to a practical nutrition program with regular exercise.

See what you think of the latest study.
 
Erm. Except the dieters lost weight, and the non-dieters didn't. There didn't seem to be an option of 'practical nutrition' - even those not monitoring calories still had increased cortisol simply from the calorie restriction. And since recent studies have shown that exercise without changing how you eat is generally ineffective, the articles suggestion to "ditch the diet and exercise more" seems less than helpful. This didn't test any 'crazy diets' so I don't see how it has anything to do with practical nutrition.

(Abstract here: )
 
Yeah. The writer recommended an option that wasn't even tested - exercise without diet. I guess they learned that in journalism school. You have to have some pithy conclusion.
 
Nikki,

Thanks for posting this article. I think that there is some good in this article but the conclusion that people are stressed from being on a diet gives people bad information.
 
I agree that dieting increases weight!

From my research and reading fitness books the main reason - that I understand - is that when we diet our body adjusts itself to the 'new' less calorie normal. So after a week or so your body needs less calories. The problem comes when we eventually give up the 'diet' and go back to normal. Now the excess calories are stored as fat until the body gets used to the new 'more calories' normal.
 
From what I understand the type of person who diets (and thus gets stressed from dieting) is likely to also get stressed from being at a higher weight.

The only way that anyone can lose weight (without resorting to surgery) is to have fewer calories going in then coming out. This can only be done by watching what you eat and some form of exercise.

I do get that stress adds to the hormonal levels of people and this increases the liklihood fat is stored and that it is stored around the torso but someone trying to lose weight will have to curb the calories as not doing so will not get them any progress on their waist size either.

Maybe the only option is to diet and then find appropiate options for stress relief.
 
I agree with Summer. I think that believing that stress is caused by dieting or by weighing yourself on the scale is a sure fire way for someone to blame their weight situation on something else.

Eat less than your body needs and you will lose weight, guaranteed. It's math.
 
Psychological as well biological stress is found when one one is found cutting calories. For that we personally need to distinguish hunger from emotions. But yes exercise play an important role in loosening stress at diet.
 
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