Depending on the individual, there are two kinds of weight loss strategies out there. Some people use dieting to lose weight quickly and put it right back on afterward, while others make lifestyle changes that stick with them long after they’ve met their goal weights. Which option will be best for you? It all depends on your life and your goals as an individual. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of each option, so you can see which one better suits your own needs and preferences.
What we mean by diet
Diet is a word we can all agree has some negative connotations. For one, it has more to do with food than anything else. Secondly, most of the time it comes with rules and restrictions, which can be hard to stick with in the long run. Finally, the diet mentality only focuses on weight and not health or wellness; this mindset makes losing weight seem like an end goal instead of a byproduct of healthy living.
The problem with this mindset is that when people feel they have lost the battle against their body, they start to feel hopeless and then become less motivated. They may find themselves turning back to old habits for temporary relief.
[epcl_box type=”success”]5 Unexpected Foods That Will Help You Stay Full While Dieting[/epcl_box]
There are many ways you can start changing your lifestyle for better long-term success.
What does lifestyle change mean?
It means making changes that last forever and aren’t just temporary fixes for fast results.
What type of lifestyle changes might you want to make?
That depends on what you want your focus area to be – whether that’s weight loss, fitness level, or even eating habits – but the best thing about these changes is that you’re getting healthier at the same time! Let’s say your primary goal is to lose weight. You could take small steps every day, such as tracking calories with an app or stepping up the number of minutes you walk each day.
These small changes will add up over time and before you know it, you’ll notice a huge difference in how much energy you have, how well your clothes fit, and so much more! Or if you want to focus on your fitness level, maybe try setting goals for yourself (like running five miles) and finding someone who shares similar goals to keep you accountable.
You can also experiment with different types of workouts until you find something that really works for you. If your main concern is eating habits, try cutting out processed foods and/or switching out unhealthy meals with salads and vegetables. One way to start incorporating more healthy options into your diet is by starting meal prepping: make a week’s worth of dinners at once so it feels easier when dinner time rolls around.
[epcl_box type=”success”]Two Vegetarian Diet Plans: Which One is the Best For You?[/epcl_box]
What we mean by lifestyle change
Lifestyle changes, like increasing fitness or improving diet can often lead to more long-term success than quick fixes, such as crash diets or meal replacements.
Dieting is much more effective for weight loss in the short term, but because of the lack of sustainable lifestyle change it will eventually fail. For example, if you go on a diet that reduces your calories and weight loss is successful, but when the person goes off their calorie-restricted diet they will quickly regain all of the weight lost plus some with no physical activity to maintain it.
This can also happen with highly restrictive diets (or those that promote an unsustainable calorie intake) which are hard to maintain over time and don’t include sufficient nutrients needed for a healthy lifestyle. It’s not about how many pounds one loses at any given moment; it’s about how we feel and what our quality of life is going forward.
One of the reasons we struggle with maintaining weight loss is due to our constant battle against temptation, especially from food! Studies show that people who have good self-control around food use strategies like avoiding situations where temptation might arise, seeking out positive events so they can reward themselves without overeating, being aware of triggers and planning ahead.
Similarities between dieting and lifestyle change
· They both take time to adjust to – there’s a lot of trial and error, especially when you’re experimenting with different dietary options for the first time, so patience is key.
· One will be difficult in the beginning but once it gets easier and you start feeling better, then it will be a pleasure (diet) while the other one gets more enjoyable as your health improves (lifestyle change).
· Lots of changes are being made in these scenarios and that takes some time to get used to – you’re pushing yourself through things that might not feel good in the moment but will later on when they have become normal.
[epcl_box type=”success”]Full Tips About Ketogenic Diet should You Try iT ?[/epcl_box]
One is temporary and often doesn’t last because it’s focused on weight loss rather than overall wellness, while the other will last because it focuses on creating healthy habits that promote long-term success.
The challenge with dieting is you can’t keep doing it over and over again because eventually you’ll hit a plateau or gain weight back; lifestyle changes work differently by focusing on sustainable goals instead of fast results which make them much more sustainable long-term.
In addition, what really matters at the end of the day isn’t weight loss; it’s improved mental and physical health which lifestyle changes produce in abundance whereas dieting fails to do so. In conclusion, dieting does provide short-term weight loss and has its benefits for this reason.
However, it won’t fix any underlying problems such as poor eating habits and lack of sleep which lead to unhealthy lifestyles in the first place. Long-term success comes from making small but significant lifestyle changes that become habits overtime such as eating well, sleeping well, taking care of oneself, reducing stress levels etc. These types of adjustments should always come before any focus on caloric intake if people want to see true improvements in their lives long term.
Considerations for starting a long-term healthy lifestyle change
Is the problem that you don’t have the motivation to stick with a diet for very long? It’s often about identifying why a diet is failing for you and taking steps to fix it by changing your mindset or finding better methods of achieving your goal.
For example, if you’ve been trying calorie counting but are still struggling, ask yourself what other techniques are out there that may work better? One technique that might work well is tracking everything in an app like MyFitnessPal (more info below).
You may also find success by considering planning meals ahead of time instead of planning daily foods or swapping out one meal at dinner (for example) with another one so you can maintain variety while staying on track. Or perhaps even giving up certain foods entirely.
[epcl_box type=”success”]10 Weight Loss Tips to Help You Shed Pounds Fast![/epcl_box]
Once you identify what is holding you back from sticking with a diet, try out new approaches until you find one that works best for you! The important thing is figuring out what will keep you motivated enough to stick with your healthy lifestyle change for the long-term. Remember that changes should be manageable–if something seems too challenging then give yourself more time before deciding whether or not it’ll work for you.
benefits of long term health goals
It’s not the easy way out, it’s the smart way out. – Laurence Gelleraia
A lifestyle change is a far more sustainable long-term solution to weight loss than any diet can be. Why go on a diet when you can make changes that will last forever? Quitting soda cold turkey and slowly incorporating a few servings of vegetables into your day are good starting points for making permanent improvements in your health, but there are other ways to incorporate healthy lifestyle habits into your life for more lasting results.
You may have heard about intermittent fasting before as a strategy for maintaining an ideal weight while enjoying a relatively unrestricted diet. There are many different forms of intermittent fasting and they all have one thing in common: they involve restricting calorie intake at some point during the day.
One popular form, called Eat Stop Eat, involves skipping breakfast or lunch one or two days per week and eating only dinner or supper during those days. Another popular form of intermittent fasting is called the 5:2 because it involves limiting calories two days per week (say Monday and Thursday) to 500 calories each day (or 600 if you’re trying to lose weight).
The rest of the time, dieters eat normally. If this sounds like something you’d like to try, consider reading Intermittent Fasting: The Complete Guide for Athletes by Benjamin Brown first. He covers everything from intermittent fasting and how it works to its benefits for athletes like improved muscle mass and fat loss.
A plan to make the most of your 30 days
Eating bad is like smoking, my friend shared with me recently. I suddenly saw everything in a new light – that just as someone can try to quit smoking cold turkey, it’s possible for someone to go on a diet and succeed at quitting for 30 days too.
It also became clear that these two things are fundamentally different. You don’t want to just eat badly for the next 30 days and keep going as usual after that because you’ll find yourself right back where you started before long! Just like quitting cigarettes, you want to learn how to make lifestyle changes so they stick. One month without chocolate, pizza, or beer may feel manageable but in the end, depriving yourself from your favorite things can be too difficult to keep up for long-term success.
Studies show that most people quit dieting after 6 months and go back to their old habits, undoing all the hard work they put in at the beginning of their journey.
Instead of cutting out everything you love for 30 days only to go back to bad habits afterward, try implementing small lifestyle changes into your daily routine instead like cooking meals at home or exercising more regularly.
These changes will be easier to maintain than restrictive diets and are more likely lead to long-term weight loss success while being healthier as well! If you’ve been feeling hesitant about trying something new, do not fear! Remember, we’re not perfect either. We’re all works in progress and doing our best each day to become better versions of ourselves. So when it comes to health goals or anything else for that matter, focus on making little steps forward every day until eventually you reach your goal.