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What You Learned from All Those “Failed” Fad Diets
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Takeaways From Weight Loss Diets by a Registered Dietitian / Nutritionist Calgary

By Jana Spindler (Online Dietitian / Nutritionist Calgary specializing in weight concerns, emotional eating and disordered eating).

Registered Nutritionist tips from what you can learn from failed weight loss diets

For every diet that you have tried, and failed, and blamed yourself and your lack of will-power, you have also learned something.

You learned the things that DO NOT work for you most definitely.

It is very likely though, that you also learned a few things that really DO work for you.

Don’t get me wrong, “diets” in the form of calorie restricted eating don’t work long term. There has been plenty of research done to prove this, so I won’t go quoting that.

Whether it is keto, intermittent fasting, low-carb, high-protein, Paleo, no sugar, or whatever it was that you tried for the sole purpose of losing weight, it will not become your style of eating if you feel deprived and restricted. And that isn’t for your lack of will-power, that is just how diets are set up.

However, I can promise you, you did not walk away from those diets empty handed.

Diets can act as a way to learn our own personal style of eating. Once we get past that disappointment of “I fell off the wagon again” or “I am just not strong enough to stick with it”, we have a chance to reflect on what we learned about ourselves in the process.

Some things that you may have learned on your weight loss diet:

  1. Learning your personal preference for meal timing.  Are you a 3 meals a day kind of person? How about a 3 meals and 3 snacks kind of person? Or are you like me and its more like 5-6 meals each day ?
  2. Did they make you focus on your water intake? Was it helpful to carry a water-bottle with you and make sure you stayed hydrated ?
  3. Did you feel better with a focus on eating more vegetables? Did they find some easy ways to sneak in veggies or make this habit feel easier?
  4. Do you feel better when you include more fat in your diet? Or protein? Did those foods help you feel more satisfied after a meal?
  5. Did you learn where your macro-nutrients (carbs, fat, protein) came from?
  6. Did you realize that you are not someone who can just cut out certain tasty foods? Is there a way to moderate those foods that feed your soul as much as your body?

Am I encouraging you to go try a fad diet now? No.

However, if you are one of the many people who have tried one in the past or are struggling with one now, I challenge you to take a look at what pieces from that diet worked for you and what pieces of that diet really didn’t. You just might get a better idea of your own true food personality and what will work for the long-term.

Looking for more Nutritionist tips on weight loss from our team?

Check out these articles:

Dietitian Answers to Your Top Weight Loss Questions

How Often to Eat: The Scoop on Fasting and Grazing for Your Metabolism

You May be Losing Weight…But Your Diet Isn’t Working

Detoxes, Cleanses and the Keto Diet

What is the Best Diet to Follow 

How to Navigate Emotional Eating

Calgary weight loss Nutritionist / Dietitian support

If you are seeking support for weight loss, emotional eating and finding an eating style that can work for life, here are some ways we can help support you:

Join the waiting list for our next Online Nutrition Course The Pursuit of Healthiness.

Contact us to learn more about booking private one-on-one nutrition counseling in-person at our Calgary office or by virtual video conferencing with one of the weight loss Nutritionists / Dietitians on our team.

Our weight loss Nutritionist / Dietitian Calgary services can’t guarantee weight loss (no one can!) but we can guarantee we will do everything we can to help you move towards your personal best weight and a sustainable lifestyle. You won’t find any weird fad diets, unnecessary food restrictions and anyone trying to sell you shakes, supplements or so-called miracle cures here. As university trained Registered Nutritionists / Dietitians, you can count on us for credible advice and practical meal planning so you don’t have to stress about food anymore. You can achieve a healthy and joyous relationship with food and your body. Let’s talk about what this can look like for you. CONTACT US.

As Registered Nutritionists / Dietitians that specialize in weight concerns, emotional eating and disordered eating we can see you in our local Calgary nutritionist office or as an Online Dietitian by phone or video conferencing for virtual nutrition counseling. Read more about our nutrition counseling programs and book an appointment by our experienced Registered Nutritionist / Dietitian team here: NUTRITION COUNSELING

 

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"I am a psychologist in private practice and it is very important to me that my clients have the best care with other health care professionals. For that reason Health Stand Nutrition is my only source for exceptional Dietitians. Andrea and her team provide highly knowledgeable, compassionate, and real world support to my clients who require assistance with food lifestyle. I trust my clients to them and you would be in excellent hands making them part of your health care team."
Adele Fox, Psychologist
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Rhonda Jenkins, Nutrition Counseling Client
“The Dieticians at Health Stand Nutrition help you to take action on the science behind eating well by making it practical, understandable, and fun. Their office is cozy and not at all clinical or intimidating. I felt like I was sitting down with a really smart, caring friend who wanted to help me make the best choices for my lifestyle and food preferences. They really are the best in the business.”
Marty Avery, Nutrition Counseling Client
“I have come to think of the program as a one stop shopping excursion for everything one needs to know about creating a joyous relationship with food and our bodies. In a single word, the course has gifted me with freedom from the punishing rigidity of disordered eating, old stories that never were true, and body dysmorphia that did nothing but make me lose sight of a body that has done everything I've asked, despite my careless dismissal of her needs. Now when I look in the mirror I find myself shifting from harsh criticism to gentle gratitude.”
Lynn Haley, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
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Peter Whitehead, Nutrition Counseling Client
“I didn’t realize how strong my “diet mentality” was, and all the rules I had in my head about food. I was in a cycle of reward/punish/binge/cringe. I booked with your business very reluctantly, on the repeated advice of my doctor, to get my slowly rising cholesterol levels in check. I thought I knew everything about food, and my behaviour with food, but I was definitely re-schooled. My weight is creeping down, I feel good about my diet, exercise, body image, and lifestyle.”
Amy Floyd, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Thanks Andrea for an amazing presentation, I have heard all positive remarks from attendees and the evaluations show the same sentiment. It is really gratifying when a speaker does their “homework” and weaves in our profession’s day to day challenges within their content, you did an awesome job of this! You truly took the “die” out of Dietician! Your information on healthy eating and simplifying how we can work towards this as we are all so busy really hit the mark. Andrea connects very well with her audience; she is energetic, funny, and very approachable.”
Carole Ann LaGrange, Transfusion Medicine Safety Officer

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I am a family physician who sees patients with a myriad of eating concerns – from wanting to know how to plan healthy meals for active families, to weight loss, to eating disorders, and so on. I cannot recommend the Health Stand team highly enough. I have worked with (and been to!) other Dieticians in the past and too often find that they just ask for food logs and make suggestions that are easily obtained online or in books. The Dieticians at Health Stand offer much more than just telling clients what they “should be eating.” In contrast, the team really does more of a counselling practice, and they work hard to help their clients learn more about why their eating habits may be off track and not optimal for them, as well as helping people to effect change at a deep level that, most importantly, is sustainable for lifetime health.”
Dr. Deb Putnam, Family Physician

Nutrition Counseling Client & Referring Physician

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Gillian Gray, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
“As a construction company, we select speakers who can relate to our industry and its employees. Andrea’s message was delivered with humor and empathy. She makes people feel as though they can make changes without leaving behind every favorite food. Andrea focused her presentation on healthy eating as a way to keep energy high throughout the day. This message and the way it was delivered resonated with our predominantly male, blue collar culture. I would highly recommend Andrea as a speaker for groups such as ours. She will get your message across without alienating anyone in your audience – which is a huge hurdle when trying to introduce a wellness program in the workplace!”
Stephanie Wood, HR and Safety Manager

Fisher Construction Group, Burlington, WA

I found my Dietitian warm, funny, and skilled at teaching nutrition concepts without the overwhelm. The general approach of each session was to mix science with emotion, which was exceedingly effective in helping me shift my perspective on food from one of anxiety to one of joy and curiosity.”
Erin Kronstedt, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Excellent presentation! What a refreshing change to have a speaker inspire rather than “lecture” about nutrition. Your captivating stories, tips and overall approach to healthy eating uplifts and puts people at ease. It was great to hear we don’t need to strive to be perfect eaters, and that small changes really can make a difference in how we feel and in our health. Thanks to Andrea, we have solutions to our everyday nutrition challenges that can actually work in real life!”
Tina Tamagi, Human Resources

ARC Resources Ltd.

“Had I not joined this course I would have struggled with no focus, low energy, and mindless eating. Excellent teaching and motivation. This is not just a course, it is a nutrition club with mentorship, support, and connections with other people with similar situations.”
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