Everyone knows the importance of eating and drinking well. When we are slim, fit, and active we can feel like a million dollars. When we are overweight and living a sedentary lifestyle, we feel sluggish and lack motivation.
Many people choose to leap headlong into a new diet. They create impressive goals with short amounts of time to achieve them. Sadly a lot of these people crash and burn. They may blame themselves or their diet. Then they’re back on a different diet, and so the vicious circle continues. Fortunately, there are ways for people to diet in a more sustainable way! We’ll explore some of these right now.
Wise Meal Prepping
When meals are prepared it’s good to be disciplined and consistent over portion sizes. The advantage of prep containers is that they vary, so people can choose the most healthy-sized ones. They need to be airtight for safety purposes, and microwave and dishwasher compatible. Many dieting people choose to cook in bulk and then freeze the spares for future use. If the tubs are stackable, better still.
Part of the success in dieting is holding oneself accountable. If meal portions don’t vary, a good first step has been made.
Be Realistic
The diet needs to be for the long haul, and not just so a person can fit into their bikini during the summer. It is better to aim for a gradual weight loss than to go for gold and fail miserably.
Understand that people relapse, but the occasional piece of chocolate won’t make them a failure. Perfectionism is the killer of any diet. A person may get better results if they choose to diet during weekdays and have a few treats at the weekend.
Be Positively Motivated
Don’t think in terms of ‘I look terrible’, ‘I’m fat’ or ‘I can’t eat this or enjoy that’. Imagine how you wish to look and feel. Feed on self-encouragement every time a small gain is achieved. Whenever a person says no to something, that’s worth celebrating.
Dieting is like exercise; it’s easier to do when it’s fun. Plan special rewards (they don’t all have to be edible!) when milestones are reached or gains are sustained.
Share the Journey
It’s really hard if one person takes daily exercise and goes on a diet while their partner sits around and does nothing. There are real gains when two people make the change together, and learn to spur one another on.
When a person involves their doctor or dietitian, there is a sense of not ‘going it alone’, and being pleased when improvements are confirmed.
People who join dieting groups lose the sense of isolation and learn valuable tips. They encourage and celebrate one another; plus they make new friends. Facebook groups related to dieting can also help. New contacts can be made and a host of benefits be enjoyed.
Keep Temptation Away
Think of all those people gorging themselves on chocolate bars and saying, ‘When it’s gone, it’s gone’. If it’s not at home, it can’t be eaten! The process begins with a person’s shopping list. Only write down healthy items. Don’t go shopping when you are hungry, either.
Things like poor sleep can create temptation too. We feel like we need something when our energy levels drop. Having a healthy sleep pattern with the right number of hours (7-8) can keep this feeling away.
Choose Breakfast Wisely
Skipping breakfast is not a recommended diet plan. Anyone who has a low-carb breakfast or no breakfast at all will be wanting to snack very soon. People who have healthy portions of whole-grain food (such as bagels, rolls, or cereals) will experience a slow-release of energy that should tide them over till lunchtime. People can also eat healthy bananas or yogurts.
If the worst comes to the worst, eat healthy high-protein snacks or carrots, rather than candy bars.
Use a Tracking App
This can advise on the calories in a person’s meal (Dieting people don’t have to live on salad, they just have to choose wisely). Phone apps can record a person’s progress over time, including details of weight loss. When information is instantly accessible, people are not traveling blind or waiting for the next weigh-in.
It’s important that people understand the connection between exercise and diet. A weakness in one area will affect the other. When people use all the help available and put it into practice, it can become an exhilarating experience. Dieters don’t just feel and look better, but others begin to comment positively on it too. Why not lose some weight and then maintain it? It’s going to be worth it all!
