Weightless has always been something I
struggled with. I’ve lost and gained weight so many times in my life well
trying every diet from vegan to keto. A lot of the time they would work for a
little bit but then I would stop following the plan, lose all my results and
just get more discouraged with myself.
I
would see everyone else’s transformation photos and think “What’s wrong with me?”
I later realized that I was
not the problem. The problem was that I was trying to force my body to do
something that wasn’t right for it.
Think of diets as a one size
fits all solution and let’s be honest doesn’t fit all. We are all just too
unique. We have different energy needs, different goals, and different tastes
buds that need to be considered!
That’s why even as a nutrition
coach I don’t assign meal plans. I instead work with my clients to learn how to
eat more intuitively and to find balance. It’s not about being restrictive or
having a perfect diet. It’s about finding something that works for you so
consider the following;
Is it Sustainable?
One main thing to consider is
how sustainable your new habit it. The idea is to make changes that you will be
able to maintain instead of using a short term solution. If you don’t think you
can upkeep your habit for a year then it isn’t going to do much for you in the
long run.
We keep trying to fix long
term problems with short term solutions but think of it like this. How long
have you been putting on the weight? So is a 24 day diet plan really going to
take it all off?
Healthy eating needs to be
ongoing and maintainable or you’ll fall off the wagon. No crazy restrictions
and no hard force, it just needs to become a part of your daily life. That’s
why I recommend clients get away from things like going without sugar for a
month, or dry January. That high level
of restrictions just gives you cravings, plus it’s not near as beneficial just
enjoying moderate drinking, or moderate sugar year round.
Does it Meet your Energy Demands?
Our eating also has to fit our
energy needs. Think of your food as energy because that’s basically what it is.
There are definitely days where you use more energy than others. So there are
days you should eat more than others.
Plus we all have a different
RMR (resting metabolic rate), which is the energy used just to keep us alive
and there is no way a calorie formula or a meal plan can accurately account for
that.
Instead it’s better to learn
how to eat intuitively and listen to your hunger cues! They will tell you if
your body needs energy or not.
You Need to Enjoy it!
Along with energy needs your
food needs to leave you feeling satisfied too! In a world with so many
delicious options so readily available you will just give yourself intense food
cravings if you don’t get any pleasure out of the food you are eating! I know this
from experience, I’ve quite a few ice cream binges in my day.
Diets and meal plans don’t allow
enough flexibility to eat what you enjoy. They tell you exactly what to eat and
that might include foods you don’t like or can’t eat. It also might restrict
your from some of the foods you really enjoy! I’ve seen very few meal plans
that include enough chocolate to meet my expectation.
Does it fit you Budget?
Diet
plans are usually marketed as inexpensive but there are often a lot of hidden
costs they instantly take away the ability to buy what’s on sale, what’s local,
and what’s in season.
They
also often require you to buy a lot of ingredients to make the recipes, and a
lot of the time you only need a little bit. Before you know it you’ve spend 30
dollars on coriander, a tin of panko, and avocados that you only need for one
of the meal. Not to mention multiple grocery runs a week. That’s really just not realistic to maintain.
At
the end of the day it’s really better to just eat in a way that makes you feel
both physically and mentally good. You don’t need to eat grape fruit and have a
six pack to be deemed healthy. It’s more about both eating to fulfil your individual
energy needs AND satisfy your unique cravings. That way you can maintain your
healthy eating all the time and still be happy.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post. Just
leave it in the comments below.
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