Anyone who’s ever dieted knows that reaching your goal weight doesn’t mean the battle is won. Maintaining that weight loss can be a never-ending struggle. After all, you don’t want to put in all the work to get healthy and look your best only to gain it all back, and possibly more!
Yo-yo dieting isn’t good for your body, not to mention the toll it takes on your emotional health. That’s why the most successful diets aren’t really diets; they’re a permanent change in lifestyle. Here then, are a few dieting strategies that sound good but aren’t effective in the long run.
1. Ban ALL Unhealthy Foods.
We all have our vices. For some of us it’s sweets; for others it’s fast food or alcohol. It seems then banning these unhealthy items in our diet makes good sense. But studies show that permanent bans usually have the opposite effect.
While you may be able to avoid those forbidden foods for a while, you’ll continue to miss them. Your desire for them may even grow. In a moment of weakness, you’re likely to fall off the wagon.
A Better Approach
Treat yourself to small portions of your favorite foods on occasion. Moderation is the key. And because a specific food isn’t completely forbidden, you don’t have to feel like you’re depriving yourself.
The Vida180 plan puts this principle into practical use. It doesn’t ban anything completely. You’re able to eat the foods you love, just not in the quantity you’re accustomed to. You’ll find moderation is possible when you have a plan for your diet and the support you need to be successful. Start now with your free diet analysis!
2. Skip meals.
While it may seem like a good idea to skip breakfast or perhaps lunch, numerous studies have shown that it’s not an effective strategy for losing weight. Skip meals during the day and by night you’re so hungry you’ll overeat.
Skipping meals can also put your body into starvation mode, causing your metabolism to slow, which then makes it harder to lose weight.
A Better Approach
A better approach is to eat regularly. Consume balanced meals and healthy snacks. You’ll find you have more energy during the day, and because you aren’t “starving” when you sit down for a meal, you’re less likely to make poor food choices or overeat.
3. Check your weight every day.
As soon as you go on a diet, you want to see results, right? You hop up on that scale every day hoping the number will be less than it was yesterday. And when it’s not, you’re disappointed and your motivation to continue dieting plunges.
But did you know, body weight fluctuates constantly? Your weight at any one moment depends on when you last ate, your menstrual cycle, water retention and other variables. So don’t become obsessed with the number on the scale.
A Better Approach
Weigh yourself only once a week and at the same time each week. You’ll be able to more accurately track your success without letting the scale control your emotions or detract from your enthusiasm to lose weight.
4. Avoid all carbohydrates like the plague.
Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap. They often take the blame when people gain weight. But not all carbs are created equal. There are bad carbs and good carbs.
Bad carbs are found in processed foods such as pastries, white bread, pasta, and white rice. They can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
Good carbs, however, are necessary fuel for your body. They give you energy. Healthy carbs include legumes, fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, brown rice, quinoa and oats.
A Better Approach
Avoiding carbs completely is difficult to sustain, especially when it makes you feel tired and sluggish. You’re better off replacing bad carbs with good carbs. Instead of white bread, choose whole-grain bread. Instead of white rice and pasta, try brown rice and whole grain pasta. Instead of junk food or candy, eat fruit and nuts.
The Vida180 diet program includes good carbs so you stay energized and don’t feel deprived.
5. Assume you can’t reach your goal weight just because the scale won’t budge.
You’re putting in the work to eat a healthy diet and maybe stepping up your activity level. You’ve seen some of the weight drop off but lately you seem to have hit a weight-loss plateau. It’s easy to get discouraged and want to quit. But here’s what you need to know: it’s normal for weight loss to slow and even stall temporarily. So don’t give up!
A Better Approach
Reverting to your old eating and exercise habits will cause you to regain the weight you’ve lost. Instead, be proud of your achievements thus far and continue your efforts to maintain your weight loss.
Look for ways to make additional refinements in your diet and consider upping your physical activity, whether by length of time or intensity. Hang in there; you’ll soon begin seeing results again!
Your Vida180 diet plan can help you achieve your weight loss goal in a healthy, sustainable way. Today is the day to begin changing your body and mindset. Start with your free personal diet analysis!