What comes to mind when you hear the word diet? For most people the first thing they think is restriction. We usually remove certain foods when we diet; think sugar, carbs, dairy, and gluten. When you cut out certain foods you will most likely lose weight but it is usually not sustainable. This is especially true if you cut out entire food groups. 

Researchers at The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported as many as 80 to 95% of dieters gain back the weight they’ve worked so hard to lose. So what is the solution?

First, don’t “diet.” Instead, focus on forming healthy habits that will last a lifetime. This does mean eating healthy. Eating healthy needs to be a way of life in order for it to be sustainable. Limiting or restricting yourself is pretty similar to having someone tell you what to do. You might be able to go along with it for a while but eventually you will rebel and go back to your old way of doing things. If your old habits weren’t serving you then you are right back where you started. 

You may have to learn what it means to eat healthy. Eating healthy for each person will be different based on your body’s needs. For all of us, adding in more fruits and veggies is a good starting place.  When you don't restrict yourself you will find that, more often than not, you will actually make healthier choices because they make you feel better. You will remove guilt from your vocabulary as well because, eating all foods in moderation will be part of your lifestyle. Eating will become something you actually enjoy. When you feel good and enjoy what you are doing you are more likely to do it long term.

It is not only your eating habits that are part of this lifestyle change. Exercise, controlling stress, and sleep are all a part of the equation as well. These other factors get left out when people “diet” and solely focus on what they eat. When you make lifestyle change you look at the body as a whole. Food is only one part of the equation. When you take care of your body your body will take care of you.  When you shift your thinking, you realize that you are choosing to put your life, not just your body goals, first. Healthy habits build on each other. It doesn’t matter what order you stack these habits. For example, if you start getting to bed earlier and getting better sleep, you will have more energy in your day to exercise. Exercise makes your body feel good so you will want to fuel it with good homemade food. As you eat more home made food your body feels better and is better able to handle stress. Do you see where this is going? 

When you want to make lifestyle change, it’s important to recognize that it takes commitment, hard work, time, and patience. This journey will not be linear. It will have ups and downs, twists and turns, and plenty of hurdles to overcome. Allow yourself to build on small habits that you can be successful with. If you find you are not having success break the habit down into something even smaller. As you do find success continue to build on that until you have established new habits that you can carry with you for the rest of your life.

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