When it comes to dieting and healthy eating there is no one size fits all approach that is perfect for everyone. What works really well for some people may not work for you at all and thats okay. I find that a lot of people get discouraged quickly if they see someone they know getting great results from something when they themselves have seen little to no results. There are some who even decide to give up because they think its impossible to maintain a diet a lose any weight. If you’re one of those people who are constantly frustrated by lack of progress or failure, this post is for you.
Make up your own diet.
Healthy eating should have more of a think outside the box approach rather than being rigid. For example, when people I know start dieting, they always tell me about what specific diet their going to start whether its keto, paleo, etc. I think that this is one of the most common misconceptions about dieting in general. When it comes to dieting, you don’t have to pick a specific diet to follow in order to diet. Instead of picking a specific diet, ask yourself what healthy foods do you enjoy? Start working whatever healthy foods you enjoy into your current meal plan. You will have more success with your meal plan if you are the one calling the shots rather than attempting to follow something rigid.
What’s realistic for you?
Another factor to consider when starting a diet is, what is realistic for you and your current lifestyle? Whether you work in a high stress corporate job or are staying at home with the kids finding a meal plan that fits in nicely with your lifestyle will make sticking to it much easier. For example, I love counting my macros, tracking all of my food, and weighing everything but that may not be realistic for you. Ask yourself what is realistic for you and your schedule? Come up with a plan that you can stick too.
Is this sustainable longterm?
I really hate the word diet because when people say I’m dieting it usually means trying to eat healthy in a short-term sense to lose X amount of weight. The word dieting should be replaced with lifestyle change. Whatever healthy foods you decide to eat or meal plan you decide to create should be sustainable longterm. Most people look at dieting as a quick-fix. If you want longterm permanent results, you need to make longterm permanent changes.
Bonus: Avoid the trendy B.S.
This is going to be the most important point I’m going to make. Juice fasts, fit-teas (or whatever it is called), body wraps, magic pills, etc. are not the way to go. I can understand the allure behind all of these because they all promise instant overnight results. If you’ve ever tried one of these, ask yourself did you get the results you wanted overnight? Were you able to maintain any results? Or are you just out a few bucks because you decided to use this approach to lose weight quickly instead of eating healthy? This aspect of the health and fitness industry really gets to me because people are constantly trying this approach and are getting frustrated because they still have not seen any results. If you stumble across an article that has a title of “Drink This to Lose Weight Fast” or “How to Lose 10 Pounds This Week” ask yourself, “is this too good to be true” because yes it probably is.
After reading this, do you feel like you might change your approach to your current meal plan structure? Did this inspire you to think outside the box in terms of healthy eating? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
I totally agree that a rigid diet isn’t necessarily the best route. In order for it to truly work it needs to be more of a lifestyle change.
Exactly, I completely agree!
I never diet, but if my pants feel tight I do start watching what I eat. But I never fully go on a diet, since I know I’d be miserable on one.
Great tips. The older I get the more I realize how big a role food plays in our health 🙂
Healthy eating is so essential for health, I agree!
These tips are so simple and yet so important. I think a lot of people forget to figure out if something can really work for them before they jump into it.
Exactly, I agree 🙂
That is just the perfect way to describe dieting! To NOT diet! But instead to make a lifestyle change that you can sustain. Great motivation!!!
Thank you! That was my overall goal 🙂
The key is making it realistic. Too many of my friends are doing the whole 30 and they lose weight but they gain it all back way too soon.
Exactly, anytime I hear someone using that as their diet I always ask them what their plan is for day 31.
I absolutely love this! I even hate saying diet, because really it is about lifestyle changes. It has to be sustainable, healthy, and not just a trendy diet that will fade.
Exactly! I completely agree 🙂
Great post! Gets straight to the point. I agree that it shouldn’t be short term or anything as a diet suggests. It should be a lifestyle change. That’s what I did and not I am so much healthier and happier!
That’s awesome, keep at it!
I guess being realistic is very important. I did the crazy thing of giving up everything or almost everything that was my diet at the same time and it lasted for a while but at the end of the day was not a realistic way of doing it.
It’s definitely important to find something realistic for your lifestyle, that way you have a very easy time sticking to it!
These are good advice for those who wants to start to diet. I agree, it should be realisitic so one will be able to achieve it. Thanks for sharing!
Having it be realistic is so key!
I agree with the disdain for the word “diet”. I personally subscribe to the “live-it” approach myself. I keep a scale in my bathroom and weigh in every morning to gauge my caloric intake and physical activity appropriately.
That’s great, keep it up!
Dieting is always hard. You have some great tips here!
thanks!
Wow, these are great tips and definitely a great help to all ladies who wants to lose weights an maintain their diets.
Thanks!
For me it is budget, discipline, determination and a lot of patience when you plan for a long-term diet to be successful.
Patience is definitely essential!
Great advice! I always stay far away from the latest trend! Also, i think reachable goals are key !
Definitely! Having attainable goals really does help too!
I’ve tried what feels like dozen of diets and although I’ll lose some weight, it always creeps back on. I love the idea of creating my “own” that will fit with my lifestyle!
It is one of the only ways to guarantee long-term success with any diet!
I know that whenever I tried a diet “program”, the results never lasted long. When I decided to stop following programs and just started eating healthy, I have managed to maintain my weight loss much easier. These are great tips!
Thank you! It really does make a difference when you focus less on restriction and more of just overall healthy eating.
I wish there was like button to like the post. What a great post. We all want to take up a healthy diet but mostly fail because we miss these things you’ve mentioned in the post.
Exactly, it really does work so much better when you focus on changing your lifestyle and learning better habits.
my husband is a person who don/t believe in diet. When I was reading this out he is like it took someone else to write for me to belive what he says
lol! I’m glad you finally believe it as well. Its so much better to just change your lifestyle rather than to “diet”.
I’m in the process of adapting to a completely vegetarian diet, so this is really helpful. I didn’t build myself up like, “Ok, starting Monday I’m going to adjust my eating habits.” Instead, I just did it one day without mentally preparing myself, and it’s working! I feel like it’s sometimes beneficial to just go for it, especially if it’s something you really want, rather than thinking too much and scaring yourself out of it.
Exactly! I’m happy that your seeing so much success with it so far , I hope it continues for you!
You have some great tips here! I agree with the disdain for the word “diet”.
Thank you!
Tin today’s day and age of fads it’s like atkins n Keto and what not, having a long-term diet plan is much required. These steps would definitely go a long way.
I completely agree!