The moment the dieter feels she has ‘broken out’ she enters phase two. Although the initial damage in terms of energy may not be very great, it is the psychological reaction to the break-out that determines subsequent events.
Her thoughts run on the following lines: ‘I am a hopeless case. I have no willpower whatsoever. I give in at the slightest provocation. Now that I have blown it I may as well go the whole hog and eat away to my heart’s content’.
‘Tomorrow I will try again and give up for ever cakes, sweets and biscuits. This is my last chance to savour them without restriction.’ Now that permission has been granted she can eat all she wants with relish and enjoyment.
By the time tomorrow comes she is so disgusted with herself that she has no heart or stomach for starvation. She stands on the scales only to discover that what she lost in a week of hell has been almost completely regained after a few hours of feasting.
If dieting is this difficult, she concludes, she would rather be fat and happy. She is now poised to enter the next phase.
Phase Three
‘I am now stepped in so far that should I wade no more returning were as tedious as go o’er’.This is the phase where the dieter makes no attempt to diet. She is angry and disillusioned with the whole business. Whereas before she would automatically zone in on any discussion of food or calories, she now assiduously avoids them.
She stops weighing, takes no exercise, gives up the gym and sleeps in on Sundays. She eats what she likes, when she likes. In severe cases she stops going out as she cannot bear to be seen ‘fat and ugly’ and so obviously out of control.
Food becomes her only comfort and she turns to it like an old friend. She is full of shame and often eats in secret.
Sooner or later she is confronted by well-meaning family and friends. This usually results in a row and gives her an excuse to eat even more. Her weight breaks all past records and soars to new heights.
In desperation she sees the light and is ready for redemption once more. She rounds up all the old heavy-weights and together they sniff around for new solutions. The grapevine is extremely active and is always eager to yield up new and painless remedies.
Eureka! Luck at last. She finds the new drug, the diet of diets, the foolproof method. She enters phase one again and history repeats itself over and over and over again.
Most people are overweight because of a genetic tendency to put on weight easily. In order to lose weight successfully, they are condemned to eat less than the average person or exercise more for the rest of their lives. This is no easy task. It involves long-term energy restriction, a regular exercise programme and lots of support.
(published with permission in writing from:http://addiction.ie)
