ARE YOU ON A PERPETUAL DIET?

ARE YOU ON A PERPETUAL DIET?

 My clients ask me all the time “What should I eat?”, “I hear great things about Keto?”  “Should I do intermittent fasting?”

 There is so much information out there…from the internet to various gimmicks and of course, what our friends and family tell us what worked for them and what we should be doing. 

 No wonder there is so much confusion surrounding fat loss!

 So, what is the best diet? 

 Well, that depends.  (Yes, I know that was not the answer you wanted to hear—sorry)! 

 It depends on a multitude of factors such as

• Current fitness level: How long have you been active? What is the intensity of your workouts/training?
• Goals: Are you a competitive athlete? want to look hot in your swimsuit? or do you just want to age well?
• Budget: Are you on a tight budget barely making ends meet? Are you a high paid executive? Somewhere in between?
• Dietary preferences: Are you vegetarian? Vegan? Kosher? Pescatarian? lactose intolerant? gluten free? food intolerances?
• Time: Do you have a lot of time to devote to your health and fitness?  Or is your calendar full of priorities that do not include yourself? Do you have time to commit to meal prep and stocking healthy foods in the cupboard?

I do not subscribe to any one philosophy.  What may work for me may not work for someone else. 

The “best diet” is the one you can stick to and that is sustainable for life, not 30 days.

Can you build habits and behaviors over time that can last a lifetime? How can we make better food choices when we are rushing around and stressed?  How can we start listening to our bodies’ cues?

It took me several years to let go of the various diets and rules I created around food. Remember those years of low-fat diets?  It took me a long time to get out of my head that olive was not good for me. That is absolutely ridiculous!! Now I embrace fats in my diet! Funny how that works.

So how did I get out of this cycle of dieting? 

I increased my knowledge about nutrition by working with a coach.  I have fond memories of learning how to prepare various meals and how to add in more whole and minimally processed foods into my diet. I was also surprised to learn that I was not eating enough and was not getting enough protein to support the intensity of my workouts.

This knowledge and my behavior surrounding food has continued to this very day. Yes, it took some time to adopt a better mindset along with the nutritional knowledge but I no longer obsess about “rules” nor label foods as good or bad. I enjoy my food now!