If you have enough willpower you will succeed in your new diet. You can lose all the weight you want, and you will maintain that weight loss even after you go off your diet. That, and other lies you tell yourself. There’s a reason that diets are rarely successful. Typically, diets are restrictive and they are incredibly difficult to maintain. You feel hungry, you wonder when your next meal is coming, and you daydream of fast-food menus.
Yes, you can go on a diet and you will probably lose weight. You will lose it too fast, and you will admire your efforts so much, you’ll treat yourself. Soon, you decide you don’t need that diet at all and it’s time to go back to normal. In no time, that weight is back on and you’re worried about being heavier than you were before.
We have to stop focusing on diet and instead, start focusing on lifestyle. You can change your diet and eating habits and eat healthier. That is something that you can sustain for life. That is the key to maintaining a healthy weight and enjoying a life of happiness and wellness.
The Importance of Lifestyle
The United States has a growing obesity epidemic with almost a third of American adults being obese, and many people are trying to shift that additional weight by dieting. The dieting industry is worth billions of dollars. Yet, we know from a multitude of studies that diets don’t work. Just because diets don’t work doesn’t mean that your diet isn’t important. Food is your body’s fuel. Just like you pump gas to keep your motor running, you need to eat to fuel your body. What happens if you put the wrong type of fuel into your vehicle? It can wreak havoc on your engine, that’s what. Well, when you put the wrong type of fuel into your body, it’s affecting your entire body.
You might think a diet sounds like the perfect solution. The problem with a diet, though, is that it’s only a temporary measure. Rarely is there an actual diet that you can stay on for life. That’s why lifestyle is more important than calorie counting, low-fat diets or embracing other trendy diets.
What A Healthy Lifestyle Looks Like
In addition to exercise (yes, adults should enjoy 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week), it’s time to look at what type of foods you use to fuel your body. We’ll talk about exercise later. Food activates the reward sensors in your brain, this is why we have such an unhealthy relationship with it. We crave sugar and caffeine, but you can beat it just like you did that smoking habit. So, if it comes in a box, it probably doesn’t belong in your kitchen cabinets. You should embrace a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, increase your lean protein intake, and focus on whole grains over dead foods like white rice and bread.
Exercise Role
Exercise doesn’t mean going to the gym, though it’s handy if you can do that. You should get a good mix of cardiovascular and strength exercises, and you can do both of those from the comfort of your own home (or the neighborhood). If you want to lose weight, you can’t do that properly without flexing your muscles, as well as improving your diet.
A diet will always fail, but healthy lifestyles are forever.