6 Signs You’re Overdoing Your Diet

Currently, there is, in general, a growing concern on the part of the population to maintain a healthy diet and follow good lifestyle habits. Women and men of all ages, for example, go to the gym daily, give preference to natural products and try, as much as possible, to avoid the consumption of foods and drinks that can harm the diet.

Often, a person’s choice to follow a healthy diet is not related to the aesthetic issue, but rather concerns greater care for their health in general.

Luciana Kotaka, a psychologist specializing in Obesity and Eating Disorders, co-author of the books “Slim Behavior with Health and Pleasure” and “Slim Stomach versus Fat Thought”, explains that today we have a greater awareness of the benefits of a healthy and balanced diet, we know how much Food serves to prevent disease and provide health.

“Recently, research has shown that, in overweight people, even with good medical tests, the cardiac risk is still high. In this way, it only reinforces the need to keep the body at a normal BMI. But this does not mean that we should worship the thin body, but the healthy body”, highlights the psychologist.

However, it is also a fact that some people adopt a healthy diet, combined with the practice of physical activity, thinking, in the first place, of physical improvement. And, of course, this is not a negative measure, on the contrary: the person who realizes that he is overweight and is uncomfortable with it, for example, should really follow a weight loss diet – which, of course, will only bring positive results. your life and your health.

But, from the moment that the concern about losing weight or, simply, “keeping the body in shape”, starts to get in the way of the person’s life – interfering, for example, in their social relationships – the situation changes completely. Some attitudes, such as not going to social events so as not to eat anything different from what is established in the diet, thinking all the time about measures to lose weight, talking only about food and physical activities, among others, may be demonstrating that the person is overdoing the diet.

If you identified with any of these examples, be aware: are you not exaggerating your concern about your diet? Check below for other attitudes that may be showing this.

1. You’ve become too strict with your food choices

Of course, valuing healthy eating is important, and a totally positive habit. “The issue becomes worrying from the moment that a person only eats what passes through his sieve as the correct food. Food is now strictly chosen, for example, everything must be pesticide-free, she always needs to know the origin of the products, all labels are read carefully, etc.”, says Luciana.

“Many of these behaviors, of course, are important, however, the difference is that these people do not allow themselves to eat at a social event and end up moving away from their family, as they do not consume anything that is not pre-programmed and evaluated. In this way, when the behavior becomes impeding and limiting, it is called orthorexia”, explains the psychologist who specializes in eating disorders.

2. You’ve become obsessed with the scale

Some people step on the scale every day, with the idea that they “can’t lose control of their weight”. Many even buy a scale so they can weigh themselves more often at home. Is this an important habit or could it also be a sign that the person is overly concerned about their diet?

Luciana Kotaka explains that the issue of weighing yourself every day is very particular. “Some people use this method as a way to control their weight, as they fear losing the focus of their diet. In my view, it can become a compulsive behavior, as the ideal is to weigh yourself only on visits to the doctor and nutritionist. Especially because we know that if we eat in a balanced way, we are losing or maintaining weight; and if we lose, the clothes will give it away,” she says.

“The right way is not to become a slave to the scale, but to have a ‘thin behavior’ and choose what you eat on a daily basis, focusing on quality”, adds the professional.

3. You’re pulling away from your friends

Have you been turning down invitations to go out with your friends so you don’t eat or drink anything different from what’s established on your menu?! Do you avoid going to birthday parties so you don’t “need” to eat a piece of cake? Have you preferred to talk only with your gym colleagues or with other people who also care about food?

These are some important signs that you are over-concerning your diet!

The excessive quest to lose weight, or to follow a totally healthy diet, often makes the person move away from their circle of friends and even people in their family.

“This situation is quite frequent, as these people begin to be ‘pressured’ by friends, family, and it is easier to walk away than to change the developed belief. The friends themselves also distance themselves, because, in addition to finding such choices strange, they get tired of the demands and denials in the face of invitations offered”, highlights Luciana Kotaka.

4. You keep your diet secret

Tired of hearing criticism about your concern about losing weight – or simply maintaining a healthy diet –, do you avoid telling your friends and family that you are following a certain diet, taking a supplement or even medication?!

This is yet another sign that you are overreacting to your diet! After all, your friends and family probably only give you advice because they care and want your best. If you “hide” this kind of information from them, it’s because deep down you know you’re doing “something wrong” to yourself.

So, when one of them says that you, in fact, are exaggerating in the attitudes you take due to the diet, how about reflecting on it better?

5. You think practically all day about your diet

It sounds strange, but in fact, there are people who spend practically all day thinking about issues related to their diet and/or weight loss. They wake up and go to sleep planning what they will eat for the next meal, what type of physical activity they will practice to burn the calories ingested, what measures they can take to avoid “boycotting” the diet, etc.

So if you identify with this type of attitude, recognize that you are exaggerating your diet concern!

Planning your diet daily so you don’t “escape” from the diet, making an effort to practice physical activities every day, trying to strictly follow everything on the menu, among other points, are very positive habits, but, like everything else in this life, must have a limit.

6. Your happiness is totally related to your weight and/or your diet

Feeling happy about having lost a few pounds after starting the diet is not a sin. Quite the contrary: it is a consequence of the good results achieved, probably through a balanced diet and the practice of physical activities.

The issue becomes worrying from the moment that weight loss or maintenance becomes your biggest life goal, and any “little problem” with the progress of your diet generates discouragement and suffering.

“When being thin becomes the only goal and ‘joy’ in someone’s life, the situation is really worrying and ends up bringing a series of problems due to non-acceptance of the body. Relationships between couples, for example, are affected… Luciana Kotaka.

The psychologist highlights that, if you identify with this situation, it is important to look for a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders and obesity, “so that, with professional help, you can reestablish a bond with your body, a look with affection and body acceptance” .

The possible relationship between excessive preoccupation with weight loss and eating disorders

If the person is looking to lose weight correctly, that is, following a healthy and complete diet, practicing physical activities and, preferably, being guided by professionals qualified for this (such as nutritionists and physical educators), the diet tends to bring only good results. results (in addition to weight loss itself, more health and quality of life).

However, when the concern with weight loss becomes excessive, in some cases, the person may seek “alternative paths” to reach their goals more quickly: totally restrictive food plans, the inappropriate use of medication, the so-called fad diets, etc. – which, possibly, will harm your health.

A good example of this is the possibility of the person triggering an eating disorder.

“Eating disorders can be triggered by restrictive and unbalanced diets. Of course, the perception of body image is also very impaired, as they often occur in people with normal weight and within the expected range for height and bone structure”, explains Luciana Kotaka.

According to the specialist, one of the most common disorders is Anorexia Nervosa, where the person develops control over their food, starting to do prolonged fasts and/or very restrictive meals, losing weight in a frightening and pathological way.

“Bulimia is another disorder, where you eat too much and the person resorts to self-induced vomiting to try to eliminate the excess committed. She can also use laxatives, diuretics and enemas. In Bulimia, a cycle of compulsion is established, where you eat and vomit”, explains Luciana.

The psychologist also cites the Binge Eating Disorder (BED), “where these crises of loss of control must happen at least twice a week for a period of three months”.

Orthorexia, already mentioned above by the specialist, arises when the person becomes obsessive about the patterns of what he eats, allowing himself to consume only foods considered healthy.

When to seek help?

If you identified with all or most of the signs mentioned above, it is interesting to seek professional help.

“In all areas of our lives we must seek balance. And with food it works like that too. Eating too much, eating restrictively or even with excessive criteria in your choices can be pathological and, for everything that gets out of control and causes other organic problems, treatment should be sought”, concludes psychologist Luciana Kotaka.

That way, remember: following a healthy diet and practicing physical activities often are totally positive habits, however, these should not be your biggest life goals, but some of the measures that…