The internet is filled with different ways to lose weight, from recipes to blog posts and more. A lot of these kinds of posts tend to revolve around different types of diets or fads that encourage you to make some serious changes to the way that you’re eating. And, let’s be completely honest here, how many of them actually work out in the long run? Most of the time fad diets end up being just that: a fad. They might seem like a fantastic idea at first, but they never seem to stick. Part of the reason behind that is that a lot of these diets set up incredibly unrealistic expectations for how effective they’re going to be. They say that you’ll lose weight, get more energy and have bright, glossier hair! But they don’t usually explain how that’s going to happen. The other reason these diets tend not to work out a lot of the time is that following them can actually be pretty unpleasant. At best some of them mean that you have to constantly deny yourself food that you enjoy and at worst some of them can actually put your health in danger by making you deny yourself things that your body needs. If you really want to make some genuine changes to your eating habits, then you can’t rely on fads and trends. The best way to do it is by putting real amounts of effort. Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that can help. Here are just a few ways to change your eating habits for good.
Identify what you need and what you’re missing
Far too many people assume that a massive overhaul of their diet is the most important thing when they first start. But not only does this not actually address the problems with your diet but it can also leave you lacking in things that you need. Remember, you don’t always need to cut every source of things like sugar out of your diet, it’s about creating a balance so that your body gets everything it needs. A lot of the time people can do everything “right.” They can lower their sugar and carb intake, eat more protein and do whatever else and still end up feeling awful. That’s because they’re not actually identifying any deficiencies in their diets. So even if you completely change your eating habits, you’re still not necessarily going to end up getting the things that you need. The most common deficiencies that most people have in their diets are water, protein, and essential fatty acids. Once you’re able to identify what your body is actually missing, you can start to make some real, useful changes to your diet.
Get the facts
There is so much dietary advice floating around, and the problem is that a lot of it isn’t backed up by any real science. Plenty of the classic “superfoods” are consistently shown to have nowhere near the kinds of effects that people say they do. If you really want to start making some genuine changes to the way that you eat, then stop chasing after superfoods that will magically improve your body and go for things that have been shown to have an impact. A site like Healthy But Smart is absolutely fantastic because it uses real evidence to suggest what you should or shouldn’t be incorporating into your diet. It’s dedicated to breaking down the layers of misinformation that are floating around in terms of the way that people should be eating.
Remember: there are no shortcuts
Do you ever see a “guaranteed” diet being advertised and think “wow, that’s almost too good to be true”? Well, here’s the thing. If it seems too good to be true, it very probably is. Changing your lifestyle, and especially changing your eating habits, is a difficult and potentially very long process. Plenty of companies know this fact, and they know how much we all want a quick fix for all of our problems. That’s why they bring out new fad diets all the time. The last one didn’t work? Don’t worry! This one definitely will! In the end, these kinds of quick fixes are never going to lead to any long-term changes. The only way to do that is through hard work, focus and commitment. It might be more difficult at first but you’re far more likely to stick with it if you don’t have to make the kind of radical change to your diet that fad diets ask you to.
True. easier said than done however.
One thing I struggle with is others sabotaging my diets. I don’t think they do it on purpose but it doesn’t s hard enough for me to keep myself on track without others making it more difficult.
Amen! 🙂
I’ve lost a ton of weight and have kept it off easily for over 2 years now.
My miracle diet: don’t eat anything that comes in a package.
Real food tastes so much better than microwave meals anyway! 🙂
thanks for sharing the tips!
excellent post. i work with patients trying to lose weight, and some of the myths that are out there are terrible. Its so important people get the proper information
Thank you for keeping things real in this blog post. I am working on loosing weight and getting healthy and fit this year. You’re absolutely right that if you want to reach your weight loss goals then you must work hard and stay committed and focused. I’m a work in progress getting there, but I do realize there are no quick fixes. I appreciate you pointing out about the superfoods and sharing the Healthy But Smart website.
I love this post. I feel like so many healthy eating articles today are centered around the sole purpose of weight loss in a short amount of time. What people don’t realize is that it’s an entire lifestyle change and it takes dedication; it’s definitely not a quick fix. My motto is 80% || 20%. I eat very healthy 80% of the time, and the other 20% I allow for special meals (in moderation of course). I just really like how you kept this post real about that fact that it does take a lot of hard work to make a healthy eating change. I’m glad you touched on the whole “superfood” conundrum too!