Have you ever had a discussion with a friend where they’ve told you all about this amazing diet they’ve been on; they’re losing weight left, right and center, and proclaim that if you want to lose weight – this is THE way?
And after hearing that, did you proceed to get every single last detail of their plan, only to go home and follow it to a ‘T’. Did you have success?
This is a common occurrence among many. They’ve tried diet after diet to no prevail, so when they hear about the next greatest craze, they’re all over it like a fat kid is a box of Crispy Creams.
But they don’t quite see the same success rate as their friend. This causes frustration – potentially even hostility if you are serious enough about getting those pounds off forever. These people wonder if maybe their body was just designed to be fat – or, maybe some higher power is just out to get them. Why isn’t this diet that worked so tremendous for their friend, not working for them?
The answer is because THEY ARE NOT THEIR FRIEND.
When it comes to nutrition, two people can be highly different. One may be carb sensitive, another may thrive on a diet of steady bread and bagels, yet another may have totally different needs because of medical reasons.
In order to really, truly have success on a diet, you need to find one that will last. Yup, that’s right, I said it. If you want to lose weight, you are going to have to make it a lifestyle change. Just want everyone wants to hear.
I know, I know, you were looking for a ‘quick fix’. But keep in mind, while some quick fixes may work, as soon as you get off that quick fix, you’ll find you’re quickly fixed back to your old body shape. Habits die hard and unless you make permanent changes in your lifestyle and eating habits, you aren’t going to be successful long term.
Can you really exist for years on only protein and vegetables? I didn’t think so.
So, going back to our dieting context, you really must work on discovering the way your body responds to different foods. Which ones make you feel energetic? Which ones make you feel like you just ate a huge Thanksgiving meal? For some people, carbohydrates do this to them. They eat a big bowl of pasta and twenty minutes later they’re passed out on the couch. Others never notice such a problem.
Likewise, some people get hungry frequently and will do better eating more, smaller meals throughout the day. Others, you have to remind them to eat. They will do better on a plan that has three square meals a day.
Guess what? Both plans can be successful. You know why? Because it works – for them.
So, my best advice to you, if you’re currently in search of that ‘perfect’ diet, is to stop the search and start looking internally.
Gather some basic nutritional knowledge and then start actually paying attention to your body – there’s a concept! Listen. You might just be surprised at what it says back to you.
For many of us, we’ve been ignoring our internal signals for so long, we don’t even hear them anymore. Once you can get back in tune with that, you might just find you start finally having some success again.
But, do remember, regardless of the type of diet you go on, calories do matter. There is no getting around that and if someone is trying to convince you that you can eat a vast number of calories and still lose weight just because of the type of foods you are eating, you should walk the other direction. Basic principles are basic principles. They must be followed. All that other stuff though, that is the stuff that you can play with until you find the diet that’s right for you.