Diets – Don’t You Dare

Diets

First Off……Don’t Diet. They are never a permanent solution to a weighty problem. In fact, they are rarely a permanent solution to anything.

There are usually two interpretations of the word “diet”. The first is interpreting it as referring to what you normally eat – your normal diet. The second is the unhealthy interpretation – the temporary diet you use to lose weight. That’s right, the one that makes you pick up weight as soon as you return to your normal diet.

So, If You Can’t Diet, How Do You Lose Weight?

Let’s be honest here. Diets do not work. Generally, you lose muscle mass which in turn, reduces your fat-burning capacity. The longer you diet, the more muscle mass you lose. Remember that muscle is heavier than fat so, while you are losing weight, you are often losing the good weight that you really want to keep.

When you stop with all the “Diets”, you end up picking up weight faster. Why, because you have less muscle to burn the food you eat. Your body now stores the excess nutrition as fat for the next lean period.

Change Your Lifestyle! It is the only healthy way to lose weight and keep it off, permanently. A lifestyle change will help you to lose weight, gain energy and regain your health. Remember 70% of Doctors’ visits are a result of poor nutrition.

Where do you Start? Right here, right now. It is not rocket science. It is just good food. The trick is to learn new habits that can save your and your family’s health, lifestyle and even lives. Learn to cook healthy meals, this means buying healthy food. Isn’t all food healthy you ask? Heck no!

The First Step (and then some)

For the best diet ever, cook your own healthy meals. Fast foods are designed to get you to eat more and to keep you coming back for more. They are full of fats, sugars, preservatives, hormones, colourants and lots more “not-so-good things”. By cooking your own meals, you can be sure that the ingredients are fresh, clean, of good quality and have been properly prepared, thus ensuring your, and your family’s good health. You never know what happens at the back of the restaurant.

Step Two

The next is to learn to read labels. You will be surprised to learn what is hidden in the label that you did not know. Sugars, in all their different forms and names, sodium, colourants, preservatives and ……portion size.

Oh yes, they fool you with that too. That can of soda that you so frequently drink, that one that gives you the ingredients per portion… well that can is 2 portions.

Step Three

Next, is to PLAN YOUR GROCERY PURCHASES TO INCLUDE SNACKS. That’s right. Plan for snacks every day. You will then know what to eat when you need to snack and it will be healthy (if you planned it). No more going to the cupboard to look for something nice to snack on, or eating bread or packets of potato chips or muffins etc.

Step Four

Plan your meals weekly in advance. An absolute must. You need to plan your daily meals so that you can monitor what you eat, how much time you need to prepare it and ensure that you have time to prepare and eat the meal. If breakfast is an issue because of time constraints, consider using a reputable supplement. Remember, do the due diligence., It is no good preparing a healthy meal and not have time to eat it. Slapping some of it between two slices of bread and then running off to munch while you are on the road is definitely not the answer.

Even worse is not having time to prepare it properly so you just throw it in a pan and fry it quickly because everyone is hungry. That would defeat the object and the weight you lost yesterday, you would put back on today. This would end up demoralising you and you would give up trying to take your life back.

Like-Minded People

Surround yourself with like-minded people. I am sure that you have heard this before. you want to be around people that have the same goals, and the same challenges and who will encourage you rather than break you down. It is really encouraging to speak to other like-minded people and hears that they too experienced challenges and how they overcome them. People that you can relate to and possibly even give help and encouragement to.

This is not to say that you must change your circle of friends or not visit your family etc. No, not at all. By joining a group of like-minded people, you will get the support to stay the course when you are being distracted by others. You will be motivated and resolute to achieve your goals.

Once you have started losing weight, all the people that were distracting you will start making comments at first, then start asking you how you did it and then, eventually, they will ask for your help and support. This is where the fun starts.

Helping Others

I am sure that you have also felt the elation and sense of achievement when you have successfully helped someone overcome a problem or challenge in their life. I find it one of the most rewarding things. You will find that the circle of people that you help, grows to include people you did not even know of before your success.

Being involved in a circle of like-minded people, and you will find that that group grows exponentially, will ensure your continued and permanent success.  This means no more Yo-yo diets, no more starving yourself, more energy and lots of self-confidence.

For more on how to lose weight without diets and how to develop a circle of like-minded people contact us here.

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