Ditch Dieting – Try a Healthy Eating Lifestyle

Ditch dieting! The best diet plan is actually not a diet plan but instead healthy lifestyle changes, OR a plan that leads to future changes. Weight loss shouldn’t be the only health goal though, if you haven’t check out my blog Perfect Weight Doesn’t = Healthy – Cellular Health Matters More

Dieting to lose weight or feel healthier? There are hundreds of diet plans (or fad diets), but many of them only work for certain body types, are hard to maintain, cost a bunch of money, are time consuming, are based on lies, or may even be dangerous.

I have been on multiple diet plans, doctor prescribed detoxes, and I have read a ton, and I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. I have also read about different diet plans in my Wellness Coach course and what I’ve learned on my own overlaps with what I’ve learned in my course. The course covers 5 different diet plans.

NOTE: Consult a doctor about what diet plan will work best for you. Nothing I share is guaranteed to be safe for everyone.

5 Basic Diet Plans

Low Carb

Low carb diet plans include Atkins, Keto, and Paleo. I wouldn’t recommend doing these specific diet plans without first talking a health practitioner. As they might not be safe for anyone to do. They also have specific parameters you have to follow making them more complicated.

I’ve done just a general low-carb diet, and it doesn’t always work. I do think you can lose weight on a low-carb diet, but if you consume a lot of sugary beverages and snacks it isn’t going to be that effective.

Gluten-Free

This would be avoiding wheat, barley, rye, or anything else with gluten.

I have done a gluten-free diet ongoing for as long as 6 months, and I can say this isn’t a diet where your guaranteed to lose weight. You might if you eat a lot of gluten and replace it with something healthier. But again, if you replace eating pastas, bread, or cookies with other unhealthy foods or sugars, it isn’t going to work for you. However, many people are gluten sensitive and don’t realize it. So it could help in another way that you may be surprised by.

Symptoms people have include achy muscles, low energy, headaches, gut pain, constipation, diarrhea, etc. Everyone’s body reacts differently. But even if you are not sensitive to it, avoiding gluten has numerous health benefits beyond weight loss. To learn more about processed carbohydrates and how they can wreak havoc on your health view my blog: Is White Flour Bad For You? Should We Be Eating Less Carbs?

Vegetarian

Again, if you consume a lot of sugar or unhealthy fats, or end up eating more processed carbohydrates you likely won’t lose weight. But you may experience other health benefits if you do a vegetarian diet the right way.

There is a wrong way to do it because our bodies need protein to function. So you have to eat enough nuts, eggs, and other foods high in proteins every day, or look into protein supplements. This is especially important if you have a lot of muscle, do lots of heavy lifting, and other intense exercise. For many people it might not be a healthy choice. I can’t eat a ton of vegetables and be satisfied. So I would end up eating a ton of carbohydrates which wouldn’t improve my health.

Sugar-Free

Lots of people lose weight just by going sugar-free. Not only is this a great plan for weight loss, but it can help with so many aspects of your health. It could lead to more energy, mental clarity, healthier skin, and so much more! For some people going sugar-free might sound impossible. I did sugar-free with no processed carbohydrates for three whole months and I definitely lost weight, but I was often moody during those three months. I still did natural sugars which helped a lot. I feel well capable of doing it again, but only for a month max.

I learned a lot from doing a sugar-free diet! I learned to bake with natural sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar), I learned how much sugar is in everything, and I learned how to consume less every day. These changes have a huge impact on my long-term health. Some people may struggle with headaches or fatigue from going completely sugar free if their body is used to lots of sugar. However, consuming less sugar will have numerous positive health benefits. View my blog Guidelines & Steps to Reduce Sugar Intake for ideas on how to cut out sugar slowly.

Mediterranean Diet

This is one of the most popular diets today! The Mediterranean diet is how many people eat in Italy and Greece. Many Americans have studied the health benefits of their cooking and eating style and have found it to be heart healthy among other things. It is a diet where you eat minimal meats, and plenty of healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, lots of vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. When consuming meats it is typically poultry and fish, and very little to no red meats. There is no strict plan as to how to follow it, but you can find articles on the best foods to eat. Here are some great ideas on how to follow it.

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My Experience with Diets

After college, I tried all these low-carb, low-fat, and calorie counting diets and sometimes I would lose a bit of weight. However, I didn’t really learn anything from it, and I got tired of it before reaching my ultimate weight loss goal. It was also way more complicated that it needed to be. I wish someone would of told me about reducing my sugar intake back then. I also wish I wouldn’t of known to eat more real food (less packaged food) and less processed carbs.

When a nutritionist several years later looked at what I was eating weekly and pointed out how much sugar I was consuming I was shocked. When I started paying attention to sugar labels on everything I buy I noticed significant improvements in my health. It was really challenging at first because I had to change habits, find new recipes, and stop eating some recipes I absolutely loved. But over time, I found I didn’t crave the old recipes, the snacks I used to eat, or the unhealthy habits I used to have. That’s why I say ditch dieting and adopt a healthier eating lifestyle.

My Ideal Weight Loss, Healthier Eating Plan

Choosing to reduce your sugar intake along with reducing processed carbohydrates is a winning combination! You will likely learn a lot from it along with reducing weight. If you combine that with eating more paleo recipes you will really be on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

Paleo is how people used to eat before all the processed pre-packaged foods. I used to think paleo recipes were super boring, but over time I have found a ton of amazing, delicious recipes. Check out my Pinterest Board full of recipes I have made and enjoyed.

I have learned a TON about eating healthy because I was on a diet for three months with no sugar, no gluten, no dairy, no corn, and no soy. Try finding some packaged foods in your fridge and pantry that don’t have any of these ingredients!

Calorie Counting Used Correctly

Just eating less carbs and sugars might not be structured enough for you, and I get that. Although I don’t believe in calorie counting alone, I feel it can be helpful mixed with a plan to reduce consumption of sugar and processed carbs. Also, just reducing junk food in general.

I have used the calorie counting program on my Fitbit and found it to be super helpful. There are probably numerous calorie counting apps you can find. However, I like the one on my Fitbit because it is tracking my activity too. Therefore, it will give me more or less calories based on how active I am. If I eat too little my body will hold on to the fat, and of course if I eat too much I won’t lose the weight. But I might choose to work out a bit more if I wanted those extra calories.

Serving Sizes? Normally you can just follow the packaging for serving sizes, but for meat 3oz is considered a standard serving size. You can measure food using a scale. When eating vegetables, you typically can’t eat too much.

Eating Can Still Be Enjoyable

I’m not a huge fan of strict detoxes and diets where you cut out everything that you enjoy. As a foodie, I find it to be very challenging and it makes me super moody. I think we should allow ourselves certain treats here and there. After awhile you may crack and just give in to the cravings. I prefer to eat super healthy and reward myself once in awhile with a simple healthier treat, i.e. some pieces of chocolate or potato chips vs a donut or a fried food.

If I I’m eating healthy enough, I can often go out for dinner one night a week and still maintain my weight loss goals.

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Weight Loss Resistance

Some people no matter what diet they go on or how much they exercise they still can’t lose weight. They are weight-loss resistant. It isn’t their fault. There are scientific reasons why. For those who are very healthy it might be okay to have some extra weight, but otherwise there are specialists that help with that. There are many nutritionists and naturopaths that can help. I would recommend talking to a few different health professionals to get a clear picture on how they determine the weight loss plan for the person and what it all entails.

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More Information on Eating Healthier

Struggle with eating too much packaged foods?
8 Tips on How to Eat Less Packaged Food (Less Junk Food)

What healthy foods can you add to your diet?
Check out my blog on superfoods: 11 Superfoods for a Diet Higher in Nutrients

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