Lifestyle Change vs. Fad Diets

We get asked daily about diet and weight loss strategies.  Things like carbs or no carbs, low protein or high protein?  Before we get to those more specific issue’s we need to deal with broader concepts.  Many people have a misguided idea of dieting due to the vast amount of media exposure.  People see celebrities who gain and lose weight at a whim, radio and TV ads advertising a pill to take away your hunger and plastic stick figures to give us unrealistic expectations.

Dieting has taken on the meaning of a short-term boot camp lasting only a few weeks or months inside of unreasonable circumstances.  Drastic measures and unrealistic expectations abound.  So for the purpose of this blog “dieting” will be referred to as a short-term, extreme plan for rapid weight loss.

A lifestyle change for the purpose of this blog will be classified as a long-term, sustainable plan for increased health and wellness.

Now, by the name of this blog you might say, well Josh, which one is better?  To which I would say you have been tricked.  Yes, I have tricked you into clicking on the blog by giving it a misleading name.  Because neither are superior, each simply plays a different role in your health and wellness adventure.  And if misused neither are going to give you the results you want!

START WITH THE LIFESTYLE CHANGE.

For dieting to be effective you have to start with the lifestyle change.  Otherwise when you go off your drastic but short term plan, happy with the weight you have lost you are simply going to gain it back.  Many times with a few extra pounds that sneak onto your hips and thighs.  Creating good, long-term and sustainable habits makes going on a short term diet relevant because you already have a healthy base to come back to.

If you were the average person starting to train with me next week, whose goal was to loose 40 pounds we would start like this.

1 – Drink 80-124 Oz. of water per day (yes, lots of water)

2 – Eat a lean meat for every meal (4-8 oz)

3 – Add a Veggie to every meal

4 – Eat a source of Fiber every meal (most of the time a type of bean)

5 – Stay away from overly processed foods (sugars from candy, fried foods, bread and creamy soups)

That is it!

 Granted, as someone progresses there are other things you can add that are much more in depth to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. Further, we can also accommodate Vegan and vegetarian needs. Once you have a base of healthy eating through your sustainable lifestyle change, you can add short-term changes to increase results.  Say for a wedding you are in or a trip to the beach your taking.

MOVE TO THE SHORT TERM DIET AS NEEDED

 Once you have your base habits set and you need to ramp up your weight loss for a couple weeks then you can move to the shorter and more extreme diets.  Most of the time this looks like a beach trip or a wedding you want to look extra slim for.  Sometimes it means losing weight from a long vacation you wanted to “let your hair down” with eating habits on.  Either way here a few general tips for quick weight loss.

1 – Cut Carbs: Cutting carbs is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get rid of weight

2 – Cut Sodium: Lowering your salt intake will help you drop weight from extra water you are carrying around

3 – Up Water Intake: Drink water until you are despising the idea of another bathroom trip

4 – More Fiber: The more fiber you get the more you…well you see what I mean

5 – Increase Workouts: The more you sweat the better.

Following these five basic rules are the general foundation for the majority of short term diets on the market today.  Just remember two things!

1 – Ask your doctor before you start any major diet changes

2 – Your body needs a certain amount of carbs and salt to survive normally, so don’t overdue the amount of food you cut.  Starvation is not the same as healthy weight loss.

SUMMERY

So in conclusion, it is far healthier to start with a lifestyle change and then move onto short term means of rapid weight loss for specific occasions.  Then once you have come off the short-term diet you will better maintain the results gained.