Intuitive Eating - "The Professional Dieter"

Okay so here's the low down on the second "eating personality" from Intuitive Eating. Of course I know you can all go out and buy the book or borrow it from the library and I'd encourage you to do your own exploring if you're not satisfied with your relationship with food, but I think it's helpful to put my comments into context as I go through them? If not, let me know!

Professional Dieters are easier to identify; they are perpetually dieting. They have usually tried the latest commercial diet, diet book, or new weight-loss gimmick. Sometimes dieting takes place in the form of fasting, or "cutting back," Professional Dieters know a lot about portions of foods, calories, and "dieting tricks,' yet the reason they are always on another diet is that the original one never worked. Today, the Professional Dieter is also well-versed in counting carbohydrate grams.

Okay so I don't identify with this all that much. I don't think having followed weight loss plans to genuinely need to lose weight puts me in this category. I have only followed three "diets" in my life: Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Loss Solution (this worked, I just lost interest - I lost 30 lbs and kept it off), Weight Watchers (this works too and I've lost 100 lbs more) and the Cheat to Lose Diet (not sustainable and I'd classify this as a "fad" diet experience). I suppose you could call calorie counting a "diet."

I've never been a fan of the fad dieting world and I almost purposely don't pay attention to them because they annoy me. I think there is a clear distinction between a person who needs to lose weight and who turns to a weight loss plan for a prolonged period of time (as is required with lots to lose) to do so and a "Professional Dieter" in my books. I don't think I fit in this category much at all.

More about "Professional Dieters:"

Eating Style. Professional Dieters also have careful eating traits. The difference, however, is that chronic dieters make every eating choice for the sake of losing weight, not necessarily for health (not me) . When the dieter is not officially on a diet, he or she is usually thinking about the next diet that can be started (not me) . She often wakes up hoping this will be a good day - the new beginning (not me) .

While Professional Dieters have a lot of dieting knowledge, it doesn't serve them well. It's not unusual for them to binge or engage in Last Supper eating the moment a forbidden food is eaten. (For the first time I feel I can relate to the "Last Supper" kind of feeling because my "moderation" practicing went out the window for a week or so and think this was why. But unlike this eating style, I think it's simply because I've been on a genuine weight loss track for sooooo long and it just caught up with me and not because I have felt I wanted to "try a new diet") That's because chronic dieters truly believe they will not eat this food again; for tomorrow they diet, tomorrow they start over with a clean slate. Better eat now, it's the last chance. not suprisingly, the Professional Dieters gets frustrated at the futility of the vicious cycle. Diet, lose weight, gain weight, binge intermittently, and go back to dieting.


The Problem. It's hard to live this way. Yo-yo dieting makes it increasinly difficult to lose weight, let alone eat healthfully. Chronic undereating usually results in overeating or periodic binges.

For some Professional Dieters, the frustration of losing weight becomes so intensified that they may try laxatives, diuretics, and diet pills. (I never have or would do this, I'm smarter than that!) And because these "diet aids" do not work, they may try extreme methods such as chronic restricting, in the form of anorxia nervosa, or purging (throwing up after a binge), in the form of bulimia. (Another reason I don't feel I relate to this eating style) While anorexia and bulimia are multifactorial and rooted with psychological issues, a growing body of research has demonstrated that chronic dieting is a common stepping-stone into an eating disorder. One study in particular found that by the time dieters reach the age of fifteen years, they are eight times as likely to suffer from an eating disorder as nondieters.

Until next time...."The Unconscious Eater"...