Weight loss often means giving up favorite foods. Fast food, desserts, and treats are labeled as obstacles. Social media promotes restrictive diets as solutions. Miranda Galati, a registered dietitian from Ontario, Canada, thinks cutting out beloved foods may make weight loss hard to sustain long-term.
Her own struggle with dieting shaped her views. Galati shared with Newsweek that her early experiences with restrictive dieting influenced her approach to nutrition and weight management. “My own struggles with food and weight were what inspired me to become a registered dietitian,” she said. After losing a significant amount of weight through a program, she faced digestive issues and an unhealthy relationship with food. Shifting from restrictive diets improved her balance, digestive health, and enjoyment of food.
Why Restrictive Diets Can Backfire
Some research links restrictive diets to mental health issues. A study in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health found higher depressive symptoms among those on calorie-restrictive diets compared to those not following specific diets. Another study in Current Obesity Reports noted that both restrictive and non-restrictive diets may influence eating behaviors positively. Though, non-restrictive effects on neurology remain limited.
Galati sees diet culture as a cycle of harm. She criticized extreme diets that push people to eat too little and exercise too much for fast results. This method may cause short-term weight loss, but often leads to exhaustion. Many revert to previous habits because this lifestyle isn’t sustainable.
She noted that such practices can result in “confusion and shame” around food. Enjoying treats or having favorite foods like bagels can cause guilt. This mindset can harm mental and physical health.
Emphasizing Satisfaction
Although Galati criticizes diet culture, she doesn’t oppose dieting or weight loss. “A diet is simply our eating patterns,” she told Newsweek. She supports sustainable habits instead of eliminating favorite foods or spending excessive hours at the gym. This includes nourishing meals, regular activity, adequate sleep, and stress management.
“It’s okay to want to work on your health,” she said, as long as it doesn’t mean giving up life and food enjoyment.
Satisfaction matters in weight-loss plans. “I feel like satiety and satisfaction are the most overlooked elements in dieting, but they’re probably the most important,” she said. She suggests making healthy meals enjoyable by improving nutrition while keeping the foods people love. Adding protein, fiber, and micronutrients to favorite meals is one way she recommends doing this.
According to Galati, a balance between satisfaction and nutrition can lead to a more consistent approach without feeling constant temptation. Her mantra: “slow change is sustainable change.” Finding this balance can make healthy dieting a lifelong habit.
Weight Loss Without Sacrificing Foods
Galati asserts that weight loss needs a consistent calorie deficit, but calories aren’t everything. “Theoretically, you could eat anything you wanted and still lose weight as long as you’re in a sustained calorie deficit. But that’s not necessarily what I’d recommend,” she said. Keeping beloved foods even during weight loss matters.
Her strategy includes pairing less nutritious foods with nutrient-dense counterparts. For example, cookies with Greek yogurt and berries or pasta with veggies and lean protein. Combining carbs and fats with protein and fiber improves nutrition and energy levels while maintaining satisfaction.
Galati advises against making foods “forbidden,” which she believes increases cravings. “As humans, nothing is more appealing than foods we view as forbidden and bad. But if you eat a few squares of chocolate every day, you might find it loses its power over time,” she explained.
“The idea is creating the healthiest lifestyle you can while still enjoying life,” she said. “The weight your body settles to in that place is likely the healthiest one for you.” For Galati, success in weight management isn’t about perfection but finding a lasting balance between nourishment and enjoyment.