In the many years that I have been working with clients who want to lose weight, as a personal trainer, coach and now as a weight-loss coach, two questions come up over and over again. The first is, Will you give me a specific diet to follow? I always answer the same: No, I will not prescribe a diet plan for you. I am not a registered dietician. However, I can teach you the principles of eating for optimal health, well-being and weight loss, and can help you create a plan that will work for your body, preferences and lifestyle. The second question is usually something like this: That sounds so hard. Why don’t you just tell me what diet to go on? Which one is the best? My answer then is, The best diet is the one you will follow and stick to. There are some basic principle that will support most people in their quest to lose weight. I am not a big fan of going on a diet. My personal philosophy, which has proven successful for so many of my clients, is that we all need to create our own personal diet plans. Your eating plan needs to be one you can live with for enough time for it to be beneficial. The truth is, after all the hard work and restrictions, most diets fail miserably. If a diet is too restrictive (which they often are), people tend to fall off the wagon and never get back on--putting back on every pound they lost (and then some!). A sensible, achievable plan can help teach the basics of healthy food choices, portion control, menu-planning and more. It can also provide structure, support and motivation for those who feel lost. The key to all weight loss is cutting calories—end-of! But many people like having rules to follow to help keep them on track, which is what makes specific weight-loss plans so appealing. Whether you choose to lose weight by following a low-fat plan, a low-carb plan, or by eating all foods in moderation, the plan you choose is all about your individual preference and how your body responds. The ultimate success is not how much or how fast you take off the weight, but whether or not you are able to maintain the loss. If you decide that going on a specific diet plan is your next best move to get you closer to your ideal body weight, how will you choose which plan to follow? Here are nine questions to ask yourself when evaluating a plan to determine if it is the right one for you. 1. Is the diet based on scientific, sound and proven nutritional principles? Should you expect weight loss at a reasonable rate of .5 to 2 pounds a week, or is it promising a quick fix? If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. I can guarantee if your dropping 5lbs a week, at some point you will put it back on. As human beings we only operate like that in extreme circumstances’ so for most of us slow sustained effort is more effective. 2. Do the foods on this plan sound appealing to you? When looking at the list of permissible foods or meal plans, they should be pleasing and varied enough that you will look forward to your meals and snacks. If there is a big yuck factor, the chance that you’ll stick to the plan are slim to none. Eggs and cabbage soup..I don’t think so! 3. Will this plan fit easily into your lifestyle? If you dont have time to shop for exotic ingredients and cook complicated dishes, a plan that requires a lot of food preparation will likely frustrate you. Youd be better off with a plan where the food choices are more basic and quick to prepare. Because ‘diets’ are restrictive we naturally rebel against the restrictions and look for excuses to’pack-in’. Keep the preparation and content as simple as possible. 4. Do you like choices, or do you prefer more structure? Do you want your diet plan to allow room for creativity, or do you like the structure of being told what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day? 5. Will your family eat the same foods, or will you (or your partner) need to prepare separate meals for other family members? If you don’t live alone, it might be best to choose a plan that the entire family can follow--or accept that you might have to prepare separate meals to meet everyones needs. Three plates of Sunday dinner and yours a green salad..nononono. 6. Could you stay on this plan for an extended period of time without getting bored or feeling deprived? Make sure there is enough variety and choice. Diet plans that eliminate entire food groups, never allow for an occasional treat or require the same few choices each day will usually fail, even for the most motivated and disciplined dieters. Key fact..always give yourself at least 1 day a week off and scoff and eat what you want. When you’re struggling mid-week the so called ‘cheat-day’ will keep you motivated. 7. Does the diet include group support through in-person meetings, online forums or call-in counsellors? If you are the type of individual who needs and wants support, make sure it is available. Discuss it with your partner or friend and enlist their active support. 8. Is this a plan you can follow as long as you like, or is there a specific beginning and end point? If there is an end point, do you have a strategy in place that will allow you to ease into a lifelong plan? In other words effectively continue to manage the weight loss and ensure it stays off. Balooning up and down is not the answer. 9. When you read over your plan and imagine yourself following it, do you feel optimism and excitement--or dread? My best advice of all is BE A REALIST NOT AN IDEALIST. Listen to your body! If the plan doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not right for you. 10. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Don’t expect miracles it took a long time to put the weight on what makes you thinks it will drop off in no time, trust me it doesn’t. If you struggle with a weight loss eating plan start with just 1 day a week and when you’ve mastered that then move to two consecutive days and so on. If you need any support with you weight loss goals in box me. Glyn.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 09:43:27 +0000
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