There’s been a seismic shift in the body positivity movement, but the prevalence of dieting in the U.S. might surprise you. According to Boston Medical Center, about 45 million Americans go on a diet every year. However, 65 percent of people return to their pre-diet weight within three years. Health officials also warn that restrictive dieting can lead to eating disorders and unhealthy food behaviors. It’s important to stress that losing weight doesn’t necessarily equate to dieting either—just ask TikToker Benji Xavier, who lost 100 pounds without giving up his favorite “cheat meals.”
RELATED: 20 Ways to Eat Your Favorite Foods and Still Lose Weight.
In 2021, while weighing in at 282 pounds, Xavier created his own weight-loss plan that wasn’t centered around "looks and being thin." Instead, he wanted to prioritize feeling good on the inside, noting in an interview with Business Insider that the change in his physical appearance was just an added bonus.
Having previously lost 100 pounds in high school, Xavier already knew that calorie counting, eliminating certain foods in their entirety, and restrictive diets like keto wouldn’t be beneficial for him, personally.
"As a person who loves eating, when you become so restrictive in hopes of losing weight or maintaining the weight off, you become obsessive with the food," Xavier, now 28 years old, explained to Business Insider. "I felt miserable all the time."
Xavier described his old dieting practices as “unsustainable.” In college, Xavier gained the weight back and developed an unhealthy relationship with food as a result. (Data from the University of Pennsylvania's Weight and Eating Disorders Program found that only five percent of those who lose weight on a restrictive diet successfully keep it off, per Livestrong.)
RELATED: I Lost 100 Pounds Eating This "Giant" Dinner.
And so, Xavier went back to the drawing board. Going into his second weight loss journey, Xavier knew dieting wouldn’t set him up for success. Instead, his building blocks included finding healthier ways to cook his favorite meals (many of which can be found in his forthcoming cookbook, The Rebel Diet) and regular exercise.
https://www.tiktok.com/@benjixavier/video/7391983876391963935
However, the biggest difference between his old and new weight-loss regimen was that he allowed himself to enjoy “cheat meals” in moderation. Xavier told Business Insider that it wasn’t easy at first and required a shift in mindset, especially after spending so many years feeling “intense guilt” for indulging while on a diet
"It's like this vicious cycle that keeps repeating itself because of that all-or-nothing mentality,” he said.
With time, Xavier was able to retrain his mind and body. Now, Xavier doesn’t view cheat meals as “falling off the wagon” or as a major setback because he can see the bigger picture. It’s been two years, and he’s been able to successfully maintain his 100-pound weight loss.
"If I were to sit here and think I need to lose 100 pounds, that's a lot. You don't want to do that. It takes time to achieve your goals, and you get there step by step, not all at once,” he said.
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