Change the Diet, or Change the Lifestyle?

Posted April 29, 2008 at 04:00 PM by Donnell Peavy

Section: His Health, Mental Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health, His Nutrition, Diets

It seems like every other day, there is either a new diet or a new diet pill. From Atkins to Alli, Hoodia to South Beach, one thing we never fall short of is weight loss trends. The problem with said trends is what happens after the diet is over. Most likely, you will not be taking the pills or eliminating carbs for the rest of your life, so what happens when the diet is over?

Within a year, many people gain most, if not all of the weight back. The reason is simple enough – they stopped doing what they were doing to keep the weight off. They stopped taking the pill, stopped exercising and their diet returned to normal. The only natural progression is that the weight will return. Therein lies the problem of dieting, and why fad diets are largely unsuccessful; The concept of dieting usually doesn’t include consideration of permanent change.

Enter the idea of lifestyle change. Now, we are speaking of something more permanent. Looking past the idea of a short term diet, we begin to plan out something that we will spend the rest of our lives doing. Proper nutrition and exercise become staples of our day to day existence. There are a few things you can do to make such a change easier:

Avoid diet pills – take the high road. You are making a lifestyle change, so go for changes to your diet as opposed to weight loss pills. Take a lesson from the tortoise – slow and steady wins the race. Still, if you feel you must use them, consult your doctor first, as many of these pills have adverse side effects.

Set realistic goals – I have mentioned this in a previous post; setting unrealistic goals will only discourage you and bring your lifestyle change to an end. Getting discouraged is a major reason people end their fitness quest – they don’t see the results they are expecting. Set attainable goals and milestones for yourself.

Keep a journal – keep a log of your workout progress and your weight loss progress. Keep a log of what you are eating too, if you like. This not only gives you a method of keeping up with your training, it doubles as a motivational tool as you can look at the progress you have made over time.

Studies show that it takes around 21 days to form a habit. Why not get started today on forming a healthy one? Make a conscious decision to make health and fitness a way of life for yourself. Your body will thank you for it.

Research sources and for more information: [picture]