3 Tips For Turning Your Next Diet Into A Lifestyle
Theoretically, any diet can work if you stick with it forever. The problem is many people try the next diet with the mindset of making temporary changes to lose weight instead of long-term changes that might result in slower but consistent weight loss. Before you hop on the diet bandwagon, consider ways you can make healthy changes that turn into a lifestyle.
Be A Cheater
No one became overweight from the occasional indulgences, it's what you do in the days after you "cheat" that is really the problem. Adopting a no cheat meal policy only leads to binging, and you may find you end up binging on something less desirable than simply planning ahead and indulging in the item you really want. It is better to allow yourself a treat item once or twice per week than to allocate a whole day as your cheat day. Eating all your favorite foods one day per week makes it easy to undo your calorie deficit throughout the entire week. Try to plan your indulgences around special occasions so you feel less guilty about them. For example, if a birthday party is approaching and you will have cake and ice cream, you might choose to skip a drink or two with friends and just have water, diet soda, or a low-calorie version of your favorite adult beverage.
Aim For Quantity
Going from eating what you want to adhering to portion and calorie control is usually destined for failure if you do not focus on quantity. Realistically, eating a tiny piece of meat and small baked potato for dinner will leave you fighting hunger for the rest of the day. Plan ahead by knowing different foods you can eat that are denser, but have fewer calories so you can stay full longer. You will also need to consider how different foods affect you.
For example, even leaner cuts of beef tend to have higher calories than chicken, but you might find beef keeps you satiated longer because it's harder to digest. The extra calories associated with beef might be worth it if you find you only need a small, low-calorie snack after dinner. Although vegetables and fruit are generally considered healthy, they are not all created equal. The natural sugars in fruit and starchy vegetables can make some people hungrier, even though these foods are low-calorie. If you find this is a problem, minimize your intake of these foods so it is easier to stick with your calorie allowance.
Keep Exercise Simple
Be realistic about the amount of exercise you can do. Many people start a weight loss journey by going to the gym five days per week, only to stop going after a few weeks. It is better to commit to walking 30 minutes twice per week and being consistent if it is an activity you can maintain. Over time, you might feel like increasing the number of exercise sessions, intensity, or duration. You might even want to try lifting weights or doing another type of exercise. There may be times where you stop exercising, and it's okay. During these times, try to focus on your diet to at least maintain the weight you have lost. It is always better to maintain a small weight loss than to risk gaining and losing the same weight multiple times.
People who have successfully lost weight are not perfect; they simply abide by their diet and exercise routine more often than not. Aiming for consistency and not perfection will make it easier to make better lifestyle choices. For more information about weight loss programs, contact a business such as InShapeMD San Angelo.