There are so many options out there, and it seems the fads come and go with the seasons. How do you know which diet to choose?
There's really a simple solution to this, but we always seem to make things more complicated, don't we? It's human nature to want to take the path of least resistance, but many times, that path of least resistance causes other problems and we end up having to go back and take the, what initially seemed like, more complicated path to reach our goals.
“Victory will never be found by taking the path of least resistance.” -Winston Churchill
Come on, think about it, you know it's true. Think about something you tried to do “quickly” and you ended up having to redo the thing all over again because it just didn't come out right.
The same thing goes for our health. We want the quick fix: a pill, a diet, a therapy, that we think will help us reach our goals faster and easier.
Consider the diet options alone. Nowadays, we have paleo, keto, vegan. Not too long ago, it was Atkins, South Beach, the Zone (remember those?). I’m not saying that these diets are 100% bad, but what happens is that we start off good, drop weight, maybe feel great, but then life happens and you have difficulty sticking to eating that way forever. You end up going back to your old habits, your old weight and your old state of health.
Whenever you start doing something for your health, think lifetime. There's nothing wrong with jumping on a diet to fit in a dress for an event a few weeks away, but it’s nearly impossible to maintain something that has major restrictions (like, if I see one more diet that says you can't have carrots or bananas, I'm going to choke somebody!). These restrictive diets just aren't realistic over the long term, and unless you have a medical condition where you just cannot eat certain foods without ill effects, you just won't be able to stick with it for a lifetime.
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there's no quick fix for a lifetime of great health. You know that nothing really good in life comes easy. You have to work at it. It's the same thing when it comes to your health. You can't take a pill or do some diet that promises that you will drop a bunch of weight in a short period and expect the results you want for the long term.
You have to be conscious of what you are eating - what are you putting in your body? You know very well that when you have a caramel mochacchino with whipped cream and a scone for breakfast, you aren't providing the best fuel for your body, nor for your weight goals. You wouldn't put regular unleaded gas in your Ferrari, would you? Why would you do that to your body?
In the end, there's no one diet that works absolutely for everyone. The best thing you can do is eat as whole and close to the earth as possible. For some people, more carbs work better. For others, more of a keto-type diet works best. It's up to you which foods work for your body. The most important thing is that, no matter the ratio of fats, carbs and protein you consume, most foods should WHOLE - whole grains, raw nuts and seeds, fresh (or fresh-frozen) fruits and veggies, non-fried proteins (or non-fried foods in general).
Be conscious of what you are eating. If you have time, write it down. If not, just be aware. When you go to eat something, ask yourself how close to whole it really is - did it come from mother nature or a factory? What does the ingredient list look like?
Just as important, be conscious about how you feel after eating. Do you feel energized or sluggish? I had a piece of cake for my daughter's birthday and I felt like I wanted to take a nap!
Finally, I want to mention that we do need our enjoyments in life. We have to be realistic - sometimes we are going to splurge. Life is too short not to have indulgences once in a while!
The key is to do it consciously. Allow yourself to have the food or drink you crave, enjoy it, don’t beat yourself up over having it, and get back on track to your normal eating pattern again.
Get a feeling of what works for you and what doesn't. Start keeping track of what works for you and your body. If you need some help, let me know! I'm here for you!
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