Have you tried a number of different diets only to find that you fall into a heap of cream filled cupcakes? Or maybe you got the weight off, but put it all back on again, and then some?
If so, here’s why.
Diets don’t work! Not in the long term anyway. You might be fortunate enough to stick to the diet and lose the weight. But chances are when you go back to eating ‘normally’ again, the weight comes back, plus a little extra for good measure.
Diets are also very restrictive. All we can think about is having that piece of chocolate, or eating that muffin. Telling ourselves we can’t have something, makes us want it more! We then end up eating something ‘bad’ and end up eating crap for the rest of the day because we ‘have already ruined our diet’. Then the cycle starts again, every Monday. And by Wednesday it’s all over.
I have tried many -a – fad diets. A couple of them I even lost the weight and looked amaze. Unfortunately it didn’t last long. My weight would yo-yo, and it felt like if I even looked at carbs the weight would come back on.
The only sure way to lose the weight and keep it off for good, is to change your lifestyle. There is no magic pill and there is no secret. Eat healthy, exercise, look after your body. That’s it. And, it takes time.
Fad diets will have you skipping food groups, cutting right back on calories, or drinking ‘meal replacements’. How on earth are you meant to succeed when it is impossible to continue eating this way for the rest of your life? Basically, your not. How would the big companies continue to make money if they did work?
Have you experienced your weight yo-yoing? This is because at first your body loses weight from calorie restriction (and/or exercise). Your body isn’t able to function optimally when it isn’t receiving the nutrition it needs. When you have an ‘off’ day, or when you go back to eating ‘normally’, any extra fat your body can store, it will. Our bodies are designed to hold onto fat so that in ‘emergencies’ (when you don’t provide it with the nutrition or fuel it needs), it has a storage bank (of fat) it can go to for energy. Trouble is, most of the time, our storage banks aren’t drawn upon for energy, as we already eat enough calories to keep us moving – plus have a little left over to add to storage.
This cycle is how your weight yo-yos. Eventually you ruin your metabolism by eating this way, and you find it even harder to shift the weight.
We all have to start somewhere, and it’s hard, but it’s doable.
It took me about 18 months to lose the 20kg after my pregnancy. I didn’t restrict myself, and I still had my evening wine. All you need is to be consistent with your healthy eating and exercise, and you WILL get there. I can now pretty much eat what I want and stay around the same weight. And when I say ‘eat what I want’, I don’t mean that I eat junky food all the time. Most of my main meals and snacks are healthy – because healthier foods are now what I prefer to eat. If you make a lifestyle change, you will get to the point where those junky foods no longer interest you.
Getting started is hard, and staying on track is even harder. But, if I can do it, you can!
Start by switching out the not so healthy foods for healthier alternatives. Don’t restrict yourself, but don’t go overboard either. Everything in moderation. To start with, you will need willpower to let go of the junkie foods you may be used to. Limit these to around once per week. Over time, and as you start to make better food choices, your bodies reaction to junk food will change. It won’t taste as good as it used to, and it may even make you feel sick. This is how our bodies are meant to react to these foods. Overtime, the more fresh whole foods you eat, the more your body will crave these.
You will also need to start reducing, or even avoiding, your processed food intake. This is most foods in a packet. They are usually full of salt, sugar or trans fats. All the things that are no good for our health or our waistline. Stick to fresh whole foods, watch your portion sizes, and you can’t go wrong!
Little by little, day by day, your mindset towards food will change. You will naturally gravitate towards, or even crave, healthier foods. Until one day, those Big Mac burgers will be a thing of the past.
You can do this Mama! One day at a time!
If you feel you need more support and/or a structured plan to help you change your lifestyle and reach your goals, check out our 10 Week Project here
Or, If you’re not finding the time or energy to keep up with meal prep & planning week after week, get some support! There are plenty of fantastic meal delivery services available. You select the meals you want for the week and they show up at your door – usually with little to no prep needed. Consumers Advocate has pulled together a detailed report on the various meal delivery options in the U.S, so you can find the one that works best for you! The report lists everything from cost, customer service, and eco-friendliness!