A Second Glance at Dieting

You already have a basic idea of what dieting entails. However, as we said, there is more to dieting. So about taking a second glance?

Dieting, Why Do It?

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That may be but a lot of people still cannot help but judge their own appearances through what they see on television and magazines. There are a considerable number of individuals who think that they are defined by their looks–washboard abs for men and the Coca-Cola body for women. These beauty issues lead to many trying out different diets, regimens, pills, and even surgery.

Yes, insecurity can be the reason why somebody you know undergoes dieting. Your friend or your sister may want to try her hands at dieting so she will be able to look in the mirror without hating what she sees. You may have gone through the same thing. This is especially true for teenagers. You know how high school can be. Nobody wants to be bullied and having a body that is not exactly suitable for a cover shoot makes one an easy target.

Besides insecurity, dieting is done due to health reasons. If your family have a history of heart diseases, you cardiologist may already have told you to stay away from fatty foods. If its diabetes, you are ordered to steer clear of sweets. If this is the case, dieting is not an option but a solution and if you want to live longer, you are going to take the prescribed diet by heart.

When to Stop

There is nothing wrong about wanting to fit in. On the other hand, the price can be too high. It may be worth a shot but oftentimes the practices one undergoes in order to achieve the “ideal” body are not at all healthy, physically and psychologically. Having a great body is one thing, ending up in a hospital is another. This is why dieting has to be done with a realistic goal and reasonable limitations.

Losing extra pounds can make you look better. However, if you continue on dieting after you got rid of the unwanted weight, you will end up thinner than the Olsen twins and that is not what a better body should look like. Apart from being thinner than your dream body, there are other signs to look for which clearly state that you have taken dieting too far.

If you are experiencing headaches, dizziness, or weakness, take a step back. Dieting is suppose to help you feel good not sick. If your idea of dieting is to not eat for hours, apparently you have the wrong idea. You will not get your desired weight simply by saying goodbye to food. What you will get is a prescription for medicines.

Throwing up, or to be more precise, forcing yourself to throw up after a meal is another sure sign that your dieting is out of control. Bulimia is a disorder not an answer to your body issues.

As mentioned before, teenagers are most prone to dieting due to insecurity. They feel pressured to lose weight and undergo dieting that they tend to have poor school performance. This is not only applicable to grades. They may be less involved in school activities such as pep rallies, school games, school newspaper, student council, so on, and so forth. You may want to look into your teenage daughter’s school activities to be on the safe side.

Dieting can also spell out trouble psychologically speaking. Since people who are dieting do not get to indulge in food binges, there comes a time when they cannot stop thinking about food and their cravings.

It can turn into a mild obsession and may ultimately lead to eating in secret. Unfortunately, there are cases when instead of getting obsessed with food some individuals develop a fear of food. Being afraid of something that keeps you alive is not at all healthy.

These are but some of the telltale signs saying that you, or somebody you know, is taking dieting too seriously. While you have your reasons for dieting, they should not be enough to push you to the edge. You have heard of it before. Too much of something can be bad and this includes dieting.