The Two Principles All Diets Have in Common
All diets work... for a time. This is because of the two things they all have in common. To understand the two things we have to think about the root reasons why we gain weight and how every diet affects those causes.
Mindfulness:
During our normal routine most of us eat mindlessly. We eat while doing other things; in front of the TV or the computer, in the car, at the movies. We don't pay much attention to our food. Typically we eat for big sensations; the feeling of being full, sweets, salts, and fats. When we start a new diet we are mindful of what and how we are eating... we eat only what we need instead of eating out of boredom or just to feel full.
Genetic Triggers:
The human history is one of constant famine. We gain weight because our ancestors were the survivors! Our genes are adapted to put on weight to help us survive famine. This may seem obvious... but the part that isn't so obvious is how our genes follow the pattern of famine.
In the pattern of the famines of our ancestors time, food usually didn't run out all at once. At the onset of famine food sources generally shifted from variety and plenty to some lower quality foods. The lower quality foods might be potatoes or corn or some other staple that has the calories we need but not the nutrition.
Our genes recognize a ratio of higher calories and lower nutrition as the approach of famine.
When our genes are triggered this way our bodies go into conservation mode by lowering our energy and upping our storage.
A new diet signals our genes with a change. The change signals the end of the famine! The change tells our genes that "spring has come". It's not time to store and conserve anymore.
It's not the magic of the diet that makes us lose weight but the fact that we change that makes weight burn off.
But both of these effects only last for so long...