Why I Emphatically Dislike the Concept of “Dieting” Part 3 - What is a lifestyle change anyway?

What do I mean when I say make a lifestyle change? Let me try to explain. When I say lifestyle change I mean never eating fast food again and making the change to eating only rice cakes, brown rice, tofu, and cabbage for the rest of your life. If you want to lose weight and have a healthy body those are the things you need to do.

If you believe that, I have some beach front property in Arizona I would like to sell you.

Sounds crazy right? Of course it does, but there are “diets” that sound equally ridiculous yet people give those “diets” the old college try all the time. Most of the time those “diets” end in failure. They end in failure because they are too abrupt, often times requiring such a drastic change in what a “dieter” eats that only people with the strongest of wills and an intense long lasting determination will be able to continue a “diet” for a long enough period of time for it to be effective. This is where a lifestyle change comes in.

The transition to a healthier lifestyle can be difficult and tedious, but don’t worry about it one bit because I’m here to help you. You’re already over the first obstacle. You made the decision to get healthier, and, you made the decision to read this blog. You are well on your way to feeling better and being healthier.

Here are a few suggestions on how to make your lifestyle change a little easier:

·         START SMALL

·         Instead of trying to go “cold turkey” with your food choices, start small. If you don’t eat breakfast, try to start. If you’re not hungry when you first wake up, wait about an hour and try to eat something. Even if it’s a piece of fruit or 8 oz of pure juice.

·         If you drink a lot of soda, even diet soda, start cutting back on how many sodas you drink every day. Work on cutting your sodas back to one per day then down to one per week. Replace those sodas with water, even if you have to add Crystal Light. IMPORTANT NOTE: Caffeine is NOT your friend. Drinking caffeinated beverages leads to being less hydrated. Being dehydrated will impede your progress. FYI – you are dehydrated long before you “feel” dehydrated. Water is your friend. . .Soda, not so much.

·         If you’re someone who doesn’t eat your fruits and veggies, START. Work your way towards eating fruits and veggies instead of other types of snacks that contain a lot of sugar and fat.

·         ENLIST HELP

·         Tell your friends and family that you plan to start making changes in your diet and lifestyle because you want to be healthier. Ask them to help you stay on track. If you’re lucky maybe you can event convince someone to join you on the quest for improved help. Create support around you and use that support. The more support you get from your friends and family the easier it will be to stay on track and continue with your progress.

·         Set goals (Big &Small)

·         You will more than likely here this from me repeatedly. Choose a larger, long term goal, make it as realistic as possible. Write that goal down and put it in a safe place. NOW FORGET ABOUT IT! Focusing on a large goal can sometimes seem overwhelming, concentrate on smaller goals on your path to accomplishing your large one.

·         Choose realistic shorter term goals, i.e. lose 1 pound this week or replace not so healthy snacks with healthy ones like fruit. Plotting a path of short term goals and reaching them can replace the feeling of being overwhelmed with the feeling of accomplishment and confidence.

A change in dietary lifestyle will take effort, but the benefit is well worth it. So chuck the idea that there is a “Miracle Diet” somewhere that can help you melt off the pounds. Make the decision to make little changes and before you know it you’ll be looking and feeling better than you did the day, week, and month before.

If you’d like to join my email list, have a question, or have a topic suggestion email me HERE

Thanks for reading!

Your friend,

RJ