How to Create a Diet Plan That Doesn't Suck and Actually Stick to It
Adam Dachis
9/23/13 8:00 am
Filed to: health
From Zone to Atkins to Paleo, you’ve probably heard of a million dietary plans to help you eat better and lose weight. But many diets, fad or otherwise, require restrictions we can’t sustain and we expect immediate results we’ll never see. With all the problems surrounding diet plans, how can you pick one that actually works? All it takes is a little self-knowledge and dose of reality.
With the enormous number of diets in the world you’d think you could find one that doesn’t suck. Oftentimes you don’t fail because of your choice, but because of how you approach it. To pick a diet that actually works, you not only need to remove the options that don’t fit your needs but also understand the personal roadblocks that get in your way. With the help of Andy Bellatti, a Las Vegas-based registered dietitian, and Dr. Carly Stewart, Medical Expert and MD at Money Crashers, let’s take a look at how you can actually find a diet that works for you.
Set Realistic Expectations
You can pick any diet you like, but if you expect to see any significant results in a day, a week, or even a month you’ll set yourself up for failure. When you start restricting what you eat, it feels like you’ve made major sacrifices and deserve some sort of payoff—or at least an indication—that your hard work will make a difference.
Unfortunately, you won’t get that kind of immediate satisfaction. All diets take commitment and you won’t see results quickly. But if waiting three months or so to see a significant change seems like a lot, think about all the years you’ve spent failing to meet your fat loss goals. Consider the diets you’ve tried and the cumulative time they took. You probably spent quite awhile on plans that didn’t work. Sticking with one that you like for a few months likely adds up to a fraction of that “wasted” time.
Many of us would rather “torture” ourselves through a diet that takes a short amount of time but promises fast results. While some diets may show signs of improvement quickly in some people, you want to avoid anything that promises rapid weight or fat loss. Dr. Stewart explains:
When reviewing specific programs, approach any with extreme caution that make promises of rapid weight loss in a short period of time. They may not be true, and even if they are, this can also damage your health. Look for one with a varied and balanced choice of foods and food groups, as well as one that contains at least some foods you like to eat. If you implement a diet regimen full of foods that just aren't palatable to you, your chances of success are slim. Also, if you really enjoy a particular food, do not swear it off completely, just limit your intake of that food.
Before you jump into anything, you need to accept reality. That means
you have to know you won’t achieve any fat loss goals in a short period of time. It also means you have to accept your shortcomings and allow them to temporarily inhibit your progress. If you know you’ll struggle to remove certain foods from your diet, wean yourself off of them. Going cold turkey will only cause cravings. Unhealthy eating will make it harder for you to lose weight, but if you don’t spend time adjusting to the different foods your diet requires you may end up with another failure. Make sure you plan for a transitional period and don’t just jump head first into your new diet.
Full article from Lifehacker.com here
Adam Dachis
9/23/13 8:00 am
Filed to: health
From Zone to Atkins to Paleo, you’ve probably heard of a million dietary plans to help you eat better and lose weight. But many diets, fad or otherwise, require restrictions we can’t sustain and we expect immediate results we’ll never see. With all the problems surrounding diet plans, how can you pick one that actually works? All it takes is a little self-knowledge and dose of reality.
With the enormous number of diets in the world you’d think you could find one that doesn’t suck. Oftentimes you don’t fail because of your choice, but because of how you approach it. To pick a diet that actually works, you not only need to remove the options that don’t fit your needs but also understand the personal roadblocks that get in your way. With the help of Andy Bellatti, a Las Vegas-based registered dietitian, and Dr. Carly Stewart, Medical Expert and MD at Money Crashers, let’s take a look at how you can actually find a diet that works for you.
Set Realistic Expectations
You can pick any diet you like, but if you expect to see any significant results in a day, a week, or even a month you’ll set yourself up for failure. When you start restricting what you eat, it feels like you’ve made major sacrifices and deserve some sort of payoff—or at least an indication—that your hard work will make a difference.
Unfortunately, you won’t get that kind of immediate satisfaction. All diets take commitment and you won’t see results quickly. But if waiting three months or so to see a significant change seems like a lot, think about all the years you’ve spent failing to meet your fat loss goals. Consider the diets you’ve tried and the cumulative time they took. You probably spent quite awhile on plans that didn’t work. Sticking with one that you like for a few months likely adds up to a fraction of that “wasted” time.
Many of us would rather “torture” ourselves through a diet that takes a short amount of time but promises fast results. While some diets may show signs of improvement quickly in some people, you want to avoid anything that promises rapid weight or fat loss. Dr. Stewart explains:
When reviewing specific programs, approach any with extreme caution that make promises of rapid weight loss in a short period of time. They may not be true, and even if they are, this can also damage your health. Look for one with a varied and balanced choice of foods and food groups, as well as one that contains at least some foods you like to eat. If you implement a diet regimen full of foods that just aren't palatable to you, your chances of success are slim. Also, if you really enjoy a particular food, do not swear it off completely, just limit your intake of that food.
Before you jump into anything, you need to accept reality. That means
you have to know you won’t achieve any fat loss goals in a short period of time. It also means you have to accept your shortcomings and allow them to temporarily inhibit your progress. If you know you’ll struggle to remove certain foods from your diet, wean yourself off of them. Going cold turkey will only cause cravings. Unhealthy eating will make it harder for you to lose weight, but if you don’t spend time adjusting to the different foods your diet requires you may end up with another failure. Make sure you plan for a transitional period and don’t just jump head first into your new diet.
Full article from Lifehacker.com here
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