Here at Dashing Dish, we are not about diets. Instead, we are about encouraging healthy choices as a lifestyle; one that involves so much more than our bodies. An overflow of abundance and the well-being of every area of our life—our mental, emotional, relational, financial, and especially our spiritual—is God’s heart and should therefore, be our focus. That said, we understand that some of you reading this may have healthy and God-honoring goals for weight loss. If you are currently planning or are presently undertaking that process, we want to keep you from falling victim to many of the lies of diet culture that are so prevalent today. Weight loss God’s way looks very different. With that in mind, here are 5 misconceptions about diets.

Losing weight will make me happy. I know it seems like everything will be less stressful and more enjoyable if you reach your goal body weight, but I can tell you from experience, it doesn’t make you magically immune to the majority of life’s stressors. If you have health concerns or physical limitations which can be impacted for the better by weight loss, that is certainly appropriate to consider. Achieving a health improvement and/or better physical function which will affect the quality of your life and your ability to enjoy certain activities has the potential to make things better overall. However, what you choose to do as a result of that needs to be about more than just you. Our ability to be effective in stewarding what has been entrusted to us is most important. Health allows us to show up at our best in order to serve others. This needs to be the marker of success; not physical appearance. Only then will we be satisfied with weight loss outcomes.

Restrictive protocols are necessary. Cutting out a food group is not sustainable, and in most cases, not necessary. Unless you have a medical reason to limit one of the major macronutrients (carbohydrate, fats, or protein) or food allergies/sensitivities that require to you avoid certain types of foods (dairy, legumes, grains, etc.) there is no reason why you need to restrict them. This approach not only puts you are risk for a disordered view of foods, but it can actually even cause your health to suffer. We need all sources of nutrients which are only found in certain types of foods. Be as inclusive as possible with your dietary changes.

Less is more. Please, please hear me: eating less is not the best strategy for weight loss. Not only will you feel terrible because you won’t have enough energy, but you’ll be battling cravings like crazy. Not only that, but by cutting calories too low, especially if you do so for an extended period of time, you may damage your metabolism. A modest calorie decrease is best and can be achieved through eating nutritious, filling foods in a strategic manner. You don’t need to be hungry for a weight management plan to work!

Faster is better. Over and over the research is clear; those who lose weight quickly rarely keep it off long term. In fact, they often gain back more than they lost. Most of the time, when weight is lost quickly, the weigh lost is not only fat, but also muscle. That is the last thing we want to lose! Be realistic about the timeframe that is required to make healthy body composition changes.

I can’t enjoy the foods I love. While you may need to make some adjustments to your food choices, any plan that keeps you from enjoying foods you love will not work for long. To the degree you restrict, you will rebound. This is why so many people struggle with yo-yo dieting. They feel the need to go to extremes in order to achieve success. They best approach is go the moderate route which you can actually sustain. The wonderful thing about the recipes here on Dashing Dish is that they are healthier versions of the foods we all love! While the idea of making modifications to enjoy healthy eating initially seems overwhelming or boring, I can assure you that it isn’t once you put it into practice. I would encourage you approach healthy choices from the standpoint of moderation and freedom, rather than restriction. The occasional splurge on what it truly worth it needs to be allowed without causing any guilt! No need to get “back on track” or “start again on Monday” because you recognize that this is a lifestyle and not a crash diet.

I pray this gives you a fresh perspective on things!