Starting a diet is easy. Staying on it is hard. And, the worst part of diet failure is that, you feel that you’ve failed yourself. You increase your chances of staying on track by creating a better weight loss plan. How do you do that? Well, here are 6 secret diet tricks to make your next diet your last one.
1. Look To Past Failures Before Moving Forward
It amazes me that many people start a diet by doing a similar version of what didn’t work last time. There are many aspects to weight loss success. And, you need to take responsibility for your own actions. However, many diets contribute to failure by not addressing important factors needed for long-term results. So, if you have a pattern of yo-yo dieting, understand that 100% of the failure may not be your willpower. It may be that the diets you’ve tried have never addressed the real issue.
2. Focus On Healing The Body
A good weight loss plan won’t just starve the body. It will lead you through a healing process that will help you lose weight for good. Healing the body means balancing your blood sugar, easing inflammation and getting your hormones out of fat-storing mode. A weight loss plan must be nutrient-rich to help with detoxification. It must also include a focus on improved digestion to ease inflammation. It must also reduce stress, so stress hormones can’t further encourage the body to store fat. Look for a plan that will help heal.
3. Avoid Starting With A Crash Diet
You may have started a weight loss plan with a crash diet in the past knowing that it wouldn’t bring you long-term results. Why would you have done this? Because, you thought it would be a springboard for your weight loss. You would quickly knock off a few pounds, and once you had gotten yourself on the way to success, you would transition to a more reasonable, long-term plan. But, the secret is that, this rarely works. Crash diets are only meant to bring you short-term results. They create imbalances that eventually cause weight gain. The quick results of crash diets are tempting, However, a crash diet should never precede any other diet plan as it will sabotage your results going forward.
4. Approach Diet As A Long-Distance Runner
As an impatient person, I understand the desire to get what you want quickly. But with weight loss, it is essential to exercise patience. You might lose some quick weight within the first few weeks. However, weight loss should average only a pound or two a week. This will better your chances of lasting results. You just need to prepare your mind for a distance run and not a sprint. Help yourself understand that you’re creating your success by taking the slow route. And then sit back and try to enjoy the ride.
5. Focus 80% On Diet And 20% On Exercise
Both diet and exercise are important for weight loss. But, don’t be fooled into thinking that your exercise routine alone will take off the pounds. Exercise is essential for increasing metabolism and balancing the hormones that get you out of fat-storing mode. However, it is your actual diet that will allow your body take advantage of these benefits. Food choices are the determining factors of whether pounds are lost or gained. Diet is like the foundation of your house. A good foundation is essential for building a stable home. Exercise is like a staircase within your home. It helps you get to the next level. But without the right foundation of food choices, everything will eventually come crashing down.
6. Address The Emotional As Well As The Physical
Willpower isn’t enough when looking to make lasting changes. You must address the emotional reasons that you’re turning to food for comfort. One of the first steps of any diet change should be acknowledging that part of you. Create a mental picture or give that part of yourself a name. Nurture her as she adapts to living without her crutch. Check in with her often and take care of her. Treat the emotional eater in you like you would a small, innocent child. Only when she is nurtured can you succeed. So got out there and get healthy! But, first remember these 6 secret diet tricks. They may seem simple, yet they may be what is standing between you and your weight loss success.
