Squeezing yourself into a strict diet routine still not reaping results? Most give up after a week of adopting another new diet that seemed so promising.
The internet is crowded with diet plans that guarantee to help you burn fat with ease. But they rarely work!
Being hungry does not mean you are losing weight. | Why Diets Fail
A diet should never force you to eat less. Eating less causes the body to activate a series of physiological mechanisms which will prevent your body from losing weight! As a consequence, you feel hungry all the time. It also induces lethargy and makes you feel cold and shivery, your body’s reaction to the famine it is facing.
You should not make your diet too restrictive. Treat yourself once in a while. It will help you stick to your diet plan over the long term.
A ‘cheat meal’ once a week is generally fine, of course individual circumstances may vary.
Your diet plan should not deprive you of certain vital nutrients. Doing so will lead you into a binge eating frenzy, creating guilt and anxiety which is the main reasons most diets fail!
Foods with high protein, fibre, and good fat will help you remain fuller for longer. Which will control your cravings.
Find one program and stick to it without distraction. | Why Diets Fail
Often what happens is that an introduction of a new diet with promised but unrealistic results makes one shift from one diet to another.
An easy weight-loss fix might help you lose weight for the first few weeks but once the diet period is over, the lost weight will come back.
So choose a diet that can be integrated into your daily lifestyle and is sustainable over a long period.
If your diet is not part of your daily lifestyle it will never stick.
Pick just one diet program and stick to it for at least one month. It takes time for your body to adapt.
An old-fashioned healthy eating plan always works which controls the portions that you eat. Combining healthy portion controlled meals with an exercise routine is a proven method for long-term change.
Diet pills, diet shakes and most diet fads are temporary fixes. You can try them, but the results will disappear once you stop.
Healthy foods can cost more than junk food, that does not mean you should stop at your nearest drive-thru for dinner. Yes cooking healthy food takes time and money which you might not have much of, but you get what you pay for, healthier food is of higher quality. You should aim to nourish your body with the best quality ingredients you can access.
Farmers markets are a great place to find cheaper organic food. Meal prep is another way to save time and money. If you want to see a change you must make an effort, once you have stuck to a new diet for a month, it becomes a habit. Which is much easier to maintain.
Avoid focusing too much on calories. | Why Diets Fail
Do not let food labels make your decisions for you. You do need to consume fewer calories to lose weight, but at the same time, you should not deprive yourself of certain nutrients that are needed by your body. Cutting too many calories decreases the energy reserves which will interfere with your exercise and mental strength. After all dieting is not a physical challenge, it is a mental challenge.
Focus more on the content of the food. The quality of the food is more important than the quantity.
Is low-calorie soda giving you more nutrients than a cup of yogurt? The calorie count on the yogurt might be higher, but it certainly provides you with more nutrients and energy that the soda simply won’t, this is a major reason most diets fail. People try to consume meals that are 99% fat free or contain very little nutritional value, which in turn will weaken your resolve and make your cravings unbearable.
Do not abandon your diet plan if results are not visible. | Why Diets Fail
It is not common or generally healthy to drop weight fast.
Do not abandon your plan if you are not dropping weight after the initial week as it might have been just water retention that you were holding on to from the excess salt in your original diet. It is also common to become skinnier but weigh more, due to added protein and exercise.
Several factors lead to losing weight and metabolism is one of the most important.
A slow metabolism will slow down your weight loss journey. If your diet plan does not have enough protein it will lead to muscle breakdown, slowing down your metabolism. If you don’t have the energy to exercise, your metabolism will slow down as a result.
Large meals can slow down your metabolism as well, it is much better to eat more small meals over the day, than a few large meals.
A common misconception is that fat makes you fat. Skipping good fat from your diet will also slow down your metabolism and make you gain weight.
The one thing you do want to avoid is sugar.
Make the change | Why Diets Fail
Changing to a healthy lifestyle is never easy.
It takes determination and dedication to sustain, but once it becomes a habit it does get easier.
Dieting is synonymous with restrictions, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Listen to your body’s cravings and build a nutrition plan around it, one that fits your own specific bodily needs. Your body craves certain foods for a specific reason, and you must find out why.
Small changes made every day add up to a huge difference, so make a small change today and start building momentum towards your new life.