Whether you're looking to lose some weight to be healthier or tone up for your upcoming beach vacation, going on a diet is not the answer. Here's why dieting doesn't work (and worse, can actually make you gain weight or become unhealthier), and four things to do instead that actually will help you reach your weight goals and be your healthiest self (just in time for that beach trip).

1. It puts the responsibility outside of you

When we look to a diet and a set of rules to dictate what we do or do not eat, we make the diet the expert. We're depending on external factors to make us healthy, rather than listening to the real expert: the body. A temporary diet is not effective for so many reasons, but perhaps most damaging of all is that it's reinstating proof that your body is not to be trusted and that you are not in control of your own health. Reality check: you have the power and responsibility to keep your body healthy.

2. You'll produce less "happy hormones"

Eating foods that taste delicious that you look forward to actually releases happy hormones like dopamine. The foods you eat not only affect your mood because the gut-brain connection, but because enjoying food is good for us. Also, an amino acid called tryptophan can be found in a variety of foods, which gets converted into serotonin. Missing out on a wide variety of foods (and enough of them) can actually mean less serotonin production. In other words that you wouldn't find on your ninth grade science quiz, restricting can negatively affect your mood and be damaging for your mental health. Our bodies are meant to enjoy food, and get a wide variety of nutrients.

3. Your metabolism slows down when eating less food

The body is incredibly smart, and it's not as simple as the "calories in-calories out" weight loss model we're taught to believe as fact. When you eat less food, your metabolism slows down because it doesn't have to work as hard with less calories. This may not mean anything at first, but your metabolism won't be able to keep up if you start eating more calories again, meaning eating any differently than the diet you're on could actually cause you to gain weight. In other words: no matter how effective temporary diets like Whole30 seem, they'll do more longterm damage to your weight (and wellbeing) than good.

4. Restricting makes you overeat

Sounds counterintuitive, right? But when you categorize foods as “bad" or "off-limits," you’re sending the signal to your brain that you won’t be eating this food again. Your brain then translates that restriction as a need to get that food in now, if you won’t get it in the future. This is a biological response: an increased appetite and cravings for the restricted foods would save your life in a famine. Any amount of deprivation can lead to uncontrollable cravings and overeating.

5. It keeps up the myth that health is only about what you eat

Our culture is obsessed with food. I mean, obsessed. The topic of weight loss, or health in general, is almost always centered around food. Occasionally, exercise is a part of the conversation, but typically only when it comes to the calories in, calories out concept of weight loss (i.e. burning more calories in exercise means you can eat more). But doing Whole30, Keto, low-carb, paleo, etc., is just reinstating the idea that food is the main factor of health. In reality, there are so many factors to health and weight that are just as important (if not more) than what you eat. If you come across a diet that doesn't also touch on mental health, exercise, and self-care, run.

Instead...

1. Experiment with different eating styles

We can learn so much from cultures and ideologies from around the world that have been thriving off of certain foods and recipes for thousands of years. Experiment with a variety of eating styles to identify what feels best to your body. For example, look towards the anti-inflammatory ingredients from India, the longevity-boosting foods of the Mediterranean, or the balancing effects of the macrobiotic diet from Japan. Your body will react differently to every ingredient, recipe, and eating style. Pay attention to what it's telling you.

2. Emphasize power foods (and crowd out foods that don't serve you)

Power foods: foods that make your body feel good. For you, they might be alkalizing greens or grounding root veggies, or even a superfood or two like goji berries and seaweed. Once you start asking your body how it feels, you'll notice how it reacts to every food. Fill up your plate and diet with these foods, and it will naturally crowd out the ones that may not make your body feel energized, balanced, or happy, without any restriction or deprivation.

3. Be aware of your bio-individual needs and how they shift throughout time

Another reason diets just don't work: what makes my body feel good might make your body feel awful. One person's poison is another person's medicine. For an example, foods like cauliflower or garlic can be highly nutritious and healing for some people, while other people might experience painful bloat after eating if they have SIBO or IBS. Another example is that dairy is a huge no-no for many people, while organic, grass-fed cheese and yogurt can be a good source of probiotics, calcium, and protein. Every body needs different things and reacts to foods differently, so be aware of what feels good to you, regardless of whether they're deemed "bad" or "good." Also, know that your body changes day by day, and your body's needs change too.

4. Spend your time and energy with things (and people) that nurture you

Whether or not you love the way you're spending your time, feel fulfilled by the relationships in your life, and are passionate about the work you do is more important for your health than the foods you eat. Period. Remember that joy is a nutrient too. The body is like a well-oiled machine that can self-regulate and self-heal. Yes, it needs a lot of nutrients to work as information to tell it what to do, but it also needs a reason to be healthy. If you're constantly stressed out, unhappy, or unfulfilled, what's the point? Move your body more, spend time with people you love, play with spirituality, and give your body more credit than to demote it to a restricting diet.