2010: Don’t Go on a Diet!

2010 No Diet New Year’s Resolution
Yes, you just correctly, a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Nutritionist is suggesting that this year you don’t go on a diet. Why am I suggesting this? The truth is that every day we are on a diet. According to Webster’s dictionary, the primary definition of a diet is “food and drink regularly provided or consumed.” Therefore, what you eat and drink on a daily basis is your diet. If weight loss is your 2010 New Year’s Resolution, throw out the diet books and commit to three firm lifestyle changes. Once you master the first three goals, start gradually adding additional changes. Word to the wise, do not try and conquer all the changes you need to make at once, instead focus on training your body and mind to make long term and permanent changes.
How will changing lifestyle habits and behaviors result in weight loss?
Many clients will ask “if I don’t go on a restrictive diet how can I lose weight?” The answer is simple: diet’s work because they create a negative energy balance, eating fewer calories than your body needs will result in weight loss. However, the down fall with many traditional diets is that they are so restrictive and boring that they leave people hungry. When you are hungry all the time, willpower diminishes and you are more susceptible to indulge in that not so good for you food. If you work on lifestyle changes and learn to manage your hunger, suddenly you have 1) an increase in willpower 2) you are more inclined to resist high fat and high sugar foods 3) you are better able to control portion size 4) you lose weight.
What is the next step?
1. Take a hard and honest look at your current eating and exercise plan
2. Identify and record three areas you want to work on. These can be strictly food or exercise related, or a combination of both.
3. Create an action plan and tell people about your goals.
If you are ready to make long term changes this year and create a new you, contact me and we can discuss if “Food Focus” my online coaching program is right for you.