If you are trying to lose weight you have probably looked at many options, and most likely you have tried cutting down on calories, a specific food group and/or increasing your exercise levels. But have you tried focusing only on the quality of the foods you eat?
The Stanford Prevention Research Center has recently finished a study concerning the best approach when you are trying to lose weight: quality versus quantity, and I want to explore those concepts with you.
This is a very special moment for me, as the results of the study that have just been published by the Journal of American Medical Association, support my very opinion and point of view for a healthy weight and lifestyle. That’s exactly what I have been teaching and educating my audience and clients for years. (You can read an article published in the New York Times about the study here).
The Diet Industry is Fooling You
The problem with the diet industry is that for many years, most diets, dietitians and even reference centers have focused on limiting calories quantities of certain food groups to achieve a healthy weight.
They have been guiding people trying to lose weight into the dark area of restrictive dieting, which has resulted in yo-yo diet sufferers and many people frustrated with their weight. Many dieters feel like a failure with no hope that they will ever be able to manage their weight. What is worse, post-dieters trying to lose weight unwilling to find another way, no matter what anyone suggests and how deep people try to convince them that the reason for their diet’s failure wasn’t their fault but the fact that Diets Don’t Work! so they have to find another way to get in control of their weight.
Diets Don’t Work
Diets make you feel miserable, hungry, and tired. And worst of all, leave you feeling that you are missing the best of life because you diet is forcing you to cut calories, food groups and over exercise, sometimes the wrong way.
When you lose weight by cutting too many calories, your body learns how to survive with less calories and therefore, the moment you go back to eating more calories again not only you gain the weight you lost, but you gain even more. This is called yo-yo dieting.
Finally, when you follow a restrictive diet, you are not really learning anything, and therefore the moment you stop the diet you are in the exact place you were before you started.
What Really Works
What really works when you are trying to lose weight is to activate your metabolism eating enough food, so you can burn more calories just by learning what to eat and not to eat, when and how much. The secret is to learn the reasons behind what you are doing, so you can make them yours, and take responsibility so that you keep working on it, feel proud of what you are accomplishing and therefore keeping those new learned habits for life.
Learning how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a balance of how much you eat is like that little kid that asks to do things “all by myself” or how after learning how to bike on two wheels you never forget how to.
When you are trying to lose weight to accomplish a healthy lifestyle not everything is black or white. You don’t need to change all your habits for everything to be worth it. For example, it is not necessary to have a no sugar, carbs or fat diet to succeed, or to get a personal trainer that kills you at the gym, or to eat so little calories that you feel tired and exhausted.
Every small change counts. Don’t get caught on the mindset of “whatever, I’ve already lost. It doesn’t matter anymore, so I’ll have another cookie”. When you are trying to lose weight, not having that cookie, taking those extra stairs, choosing whole grains versus white, controlling your serving size, all those little things will count towards accomplishing results to achieve a healthy weight and living.
If you are trying to lose weight the best approach is the quality of the diet, not the quantity. Look for a diet, a system or a program that teaches you what, and how much, you should eat, and WHY. If you are trying to change the way you eat, look for a method that teaches you how in a way that is easy to understand, apply and maintain for life, so you can create and keep your healthy habits for life to maintain your healthy weight and lifestyle.
Over to You!
Are you ready to move to a "Quality" Diet?
I'd love to hear from you!

Write a comment