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“According to a Boston Medical Center study, 45 million Americans go on a diet each year.“
If you are like most people, at some point in your life you will decide to go on a diet to either improve the way you look, feel or perform. Maybe this idea gets sparked by a new relationship or health crisis or perhaps you experience a shift in your consciousness. Either way, you make up your mind to eat healthier.
You set yourself on a mission of “improving your diet”. However, at some point on your journey, you are bound to discover that this task is not as straightforward as you originally anticipated.
Many of us begin a diet with the best of intentions, but ultimately most dieters will be able to keep up the eating plan for a few weeks, maybe a few months if they’re lucky. That’s because you can only deprive yourself for so long, before you end up slipping back into your old eating habits and boomerang back to our original weight, or — even worse — gain more. This kind of lifestyle is unsustainable, unhealthy and, frankly, unfulfilling.
However, you have the ability to jump off the diet rollercoaster. Right now you can start taking action steps that will help you reach your healthy weight without feeling deprived or sacrificing your health and wellbeing and still enjoy your life in the process.
The D word.
The word “diet” is a bit tricky. It comes from an ancient Greek word meaning ‘a mode of living’.
So the original; meaning of “diet” really is “lifestyle”
However, in our society, the word “diet” is often associated with a limited and highly restrictive program that promotes deprivation, weight loss and often extreme changes in food intake to produce weight loss.
That doesn’t sound like fun! Seriously, who would want to live like that? Plus this strategy is really not that effective…
According to a study from UCLA, up to two-thirds of people who try restricting diets regain the weight they had lost.
Losing weight through dieting alone will not guarantee lasting success. It might temporarily change your outside
appearance, but it won’t leave a permanent change. You will be on a search for the next quick fix before you know it.
There is a strong chance that you reading this article or listing to this podcast in hopes to lose weight, fast. Perhaps you feel that a plant-based diet will get you there. And you are right. If you stick to eating healthy, unrefined plant-based foods, the excess weight will come off. Though, we want you to understand that you have the potential to achieve much greater things than just weight loss.
Today is your chance to shift the way you think of a diet. It’s time to go back to the word’s original meaning. Let’s make diet a lifestyle again. And not just any lifestyle, but a lifestyle that is fun and sustainable, supports you and enables you to enjoy life on every possible level.
Wouldn’t that make more sense?
Let us share with you 14 of our most powerful strategies that can help break this vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting once and for all.
14 strategies to help you lose weight, keep it off and ditch dieting forever
Start small. Changing your lifestyle overnight is not good. Actually, it can be very bad for your body as well as your mind. Instead focus on one habit, one change at a time. This way you can channel all your energy into creating that change and eventually be making this habit part of your lifestyle.
Don’t deprive yourself. Please remember that weight loss isn’t about starving yourself. On the contrary. It’s about nourishing your body and finding balance. We find that eating four to five balanced meals spread out through the day produces great long-term results.
Eat unrefined plants. Centre your meals around raw fruits, veggies and nuts, and seeds.
Drink water. Lots of it. Water kick-starts your metabolism. Ditch the calorie-containing drinks and diet soda.
Stay away from processed food, and definitely avoid food where you can’t pronounce the ingredients.
Don’t skip the carbs. Plant-based complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, quinoa, lentils, legumes, bananas, squash, rice, and oats are very beneficial for optimal body composition and overall health.
Pay attention to the healthy fat intake. Our body needs fat in order to survive. Try to stop eating fat for a while and you will experience an enormous craving that will overcome any iron will. Healthy fats can be obtained from coconut, avocados, raw nuts, and seeds, etc.
Learn to cook. You don’t have to become the next Top Chef, however, a little skill can go a long way. Cooking for yourself means that you are in full control of what you are eating.
Focus on the positive. Instead of thinking at foods that are “bad” and things you “can’t” have, think about all the new recipes and foods you will get to try if you start experimenting with more vegetables, more beans, and more spices and herbs.
Practice the One-Minute Meditation. This short “time out” is crazy powerful. Regular practice not only allows you to slow down but also develops a kinder mind and helps you deal with stress, sadness, fear, frustration or any other negative thoughts that might cause you to overeat.
Get enough sleep – this is very important. Without adequate sleep, it will be noticeably harder to plan your meals, to exercise, or to consciously eat healthily.
Exercise! 30 min a day minimum. Walking, biking, yoga, running, it really doesn’t matter how just move. Sure there are better times and better exercises for fat burning, but any type of movement is better than sitting on the couch.
Remember that “The best diet is not a temporary fix”. The best diet plan will lead you to weight loss while also improving your overall health.
Nothing happens until you move. No matter how much you want a change in your life, nothing will happen until you DO something. Stop talking about starting an exercise and eating healthier foods and START DOING IT.
If you are sick of this roller coaster and have a strong desire to change, then we encourage you to take action. Review the above 14 strategies, choose one or two that speak to you the most right now and get to work. Step by step one habit at a time, start to create a new healthy and enjoyable lifestyle for yourself. We are here for you. It’s our mission to help millions of you get healthy and thrive. We are in this together.
You can do it!
We love you and we believe in you!
