
I know what you are thinking. The title of this article just got you really excited, but then a few split-second flashbacks reminded you that you have heard this all before. You’ve heard from at least a million different sources telling you that their diet is best, and that all others are junk. So, that split second of spiked interest has probably been followed up with some concrete skepticism…and for good reason. You have been lied to. Some one told you something about a specific type of diet, presented as an absolute fact, and then the diet utterly failed you. What’s the deal? Are you the exception to the rule, or is there more to the story? Well, I believe I have good news for you. You are not the exception. You are in the majority! Most people struggle with diets because they are not meant to be sustainable. Diets typically have an assumed time-line involved. You may be thinking: “I need to lose 10 pounds before beach-season.” Well, you can lose that 10 pounds quickly on ANY diet. So, my question to you is: How long do you want to keep that 10 pounds off? That is the difference between dieting and completely modifying your behaviors and dietary lifestyle.
Changing your dietary lifestyle is the only sustainable and maintainable way to keep fat off, maintain muscle adaptations, and live a consistently healthy life. AND…it is simpler than you may think. Start with just one thing. Determine if it is something that is truly realistic. Focus on it until it becomes a habit. I mean, really, really focus on it for 3-4 weeks. Devote your undivided attention to achieving this one goal. Once it is a habit, pick something else. It’s that easy.
What are some small changes you can make, starting today, that you know you will be able to maintain for the next few weeks? Can you eat just one serving of raw fruit or vegetable every day? Or, can you drink 16-20 ounces of water before every meal? If you can, then set out to prove you can. In doing so you are changing from this short term “diet” mentality (that only addresses things temporarily) into a sustainably healthy lifestyle.
Make sure it is locked into your every day routine, and then progress to the next step. If you master eating 1 serving of veggies everyday, then shoot for 2 servings of veggies everyday (and then 3…and so on). So many people get fed up and quit these “perfect” diets because they go from eating zero raw veggies to trying to get in 6-8 servings every day. That is too much of a psychological shock. These drastic changes simply won’t stick. So when it is all said and done, there is no “BEST” diet for everyone. The best way to work towards long-term solutions is to start with consistently fixing things short-term. If you want to make significant changes to your body composition and health, start with just one thing, and then build on a solid foundation.
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