Diet advertisements are everywhere. It seems like there is always a new fad gaining attention and popularity as it promises to deliver fast results in helping you shed weight and transform your body. The problem is that most diets don’t work. Even if they do cause you to drop a few pounds, it’s likely that you will end up gaining that weight back, plus more on top of it. Find out exactly why diets fail the majority of the time, and what you can do instead to make positive changes to your health and appearance.
Diets Are Unsustainable
Most diets are highly restrictive. They eliminate entire foods or food groups and require you to spend a lot of time counting calories and monitoring every single bite you take. This method isn’t just unsustainable for a long period of time, it can also cause extreme stress.
The reason why most diets end up failing is that you simply can’t stick with them forever. The second you go back to living a normal lifestyle, all your efforts disappear. This starts a cycle of dieting that puts a lot of pressure on your physical body and your mindset.
Restrictive eating can actually impede weight loss efforts as your body adjusts your metabolism to compensate for the lack of calories. The anxiety you begin to feel over every meal can cause you to start declining social invitation, isolate yourself, and even develop an eating disorder or body dysmorphia.
It’s better to take a different approach. Make positive changes that focuss on transforming your health and supporting your body. A healthy meal plan and regular exercise is the best approach. If you want an added boost to help you reach your goals, a supplement program like the Thrive Patch can help strengthen your body and mind and elevate your efforts.
Lifestyle Changes Work
Small positive changes that you can build upon are the best approach to truly changing your body and your health. Start by adding some healthier food to your regular diet. Instead of forbidding a favorite food, allow yourself to eat it. Just be mindful of what you put into your body and try to choose quality meals the majority of the time. Enjoy a salad before you eat pizza so that you fill up on fresh vegetables and don’t feel the need to consume as many slices.
You can also make your favorite foods at home so you can control the ingredients that are used. Making a meal yourself can help you avoid processed options full of additives and preservatives, while still satisfying your cravings. Simple strategies like this naturally change the way you eat. The more often you do so, the more ingrained the habit is. Soon, you will start to notice that you actually crave healthier options.
Listen to your body. Start to pay greater attention to the foods you are hungry for and what sparks your cravings. Slow down when you eat and avoid distractions. Put down your phone and focus on your meal. When you become more mindful of what you eat and how it makes you feel, you will start to recognize some patterns and begin to choose the foods that make you feel better.
Begin to incorporate more movement into each day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator and go for a walk during your lunch break or after work. Even just a few minutes of activity each day can do wonders for lifting your mood and strengthening your body. As you become used to the new activity, you can increase your time.
Positive Changes
Changing up your habits is a huge advantage to building a healthier lifestyle. Think about the positive effects that better nutrition and more activity will have on your well-being. Celebrate each victory and give yourself permission to make mistakes. You don’t have to be perfect to make major strides forward. Just do your best, pay attention, and vow to move forward toward your goals.
