Stop dieting and start nourishing

might not be available for long periods of time and slow our metabolism down so we’re not burning as much energy throughout the day. Our body doesn’t realise that there’s actually an abundance of food available to us and we’re just choosing to minimise our calorie intake.

Don’t get me wrong, many people could do with cutting down on their consumption of highly processed foods that are packed with refined sugars and trans fats and low on nutrients but reducing our calories can increase cortisol (our long-term stress hormone) production and could result in your body storing even more fat than it did before the diet.

For many people, weight challenges aren’t about the food

At the heart of any addiction, whether that is an addiction to food itself or simply an addiction to constantly judging yourself based on the size and shape of your body, regardless of its shape and size, is the belief in your own deficiency and the assumption that it can be fixed with an external substance or regime.

People eat unresourcefully for many reasons. It can be a biochemical reason, such as low blood glucose, that leads someone to polish off too many sweet foods for afternoon tea. It could be emotional, such as when someone feels rejected when a colleague gives them constructive feedback, and they try to block the pain of this perceived rejection by eating. Or it can be both. Often it is both.

With any system that addresses weight, unless it also explores what is literally at the heart of someone’s situation, rather than the size of their thighs, it won’t work.

It is time to stop dieting and start nourishing. It’s time to stop counting calories if you do this. If you need to count anything, count nutrients and amp them up, and count synthetic substances and omit them.

Dr Libby is a nutritional biochemist, best-selling author and speaker. The advice contained in this column is not intended to be a substitute for direct, personalised advice from a health professional. Visit drlibby.com.