Find The Diet That Fits You

The sooner anyone aiming at a health body understands this, the better: there are no one-size-fits-all approaches to dieting and weight loss. That fad diet might guarantee results, but they’re usually short-lived changes with plenty of unpleasant side-effects, not long-term real-life changes. To take control of your diet, you need to have some specific knowledge about your situation, not just a general direction.

The numbers

This is perhaps the point of individualization that most people miss. Have you ever wondered why certain diets and exercise work better for others than they do for some? It’s all down to your metabolism and how it affects your weight loss efforts. Some people are just going to have to put in more work and that will never change. However, your metabolism isn’t stationary. It tells you how many calories you should eat to lose weight, but it shifts with exercise and other bodily changes, such as ensuring you’re getting a healthy helping of iron and amino acids.

Your cravings

You also have your very own weaknesses compared to other people. Succeeding with your diet means being honest about your cravings and when you fall to them. Creating a food diary isn’t about listing the healthy things to make yourself feel good about then. When you fall to a craving, note it down, too. Don’t try to leave it out. That way, as you look over what you’ve been eating in the last few weeks, you can see what cravings pop up more than usual. If it’s the occasional sweet treat, for instance, then you can prepare healthier treats. If you populate your fridge with the foods that replace your cravings, you’re a lot more likely to settle for them rather than going the extra steps of walking to the store.

Balance

Your diet isn’t the only key to your health. Creating a weight loss diet plan means thinking about what else is missing from an otherwise healthy life. The greatest complimentary factor is exercise, obviously, but that’s not all there is to it. The best plans take into account your general wellness. Take the time to address your emotional health, to fight stress, to get more sleep, to hydrate. They all matter, making a diet much easier to stick to.

Your motivation

Diet is about willpower. Cravings are the enemies of willpower, while motivation is the ally. Motivation’s a little different for everybody, as well. Setting weight loss goals works for a lot of people, but numbers aren’t all you should fixate on. You can also create a side-portion of your diet diary where you look at healthy steps to change you’ve taken recently. A lot of people have trouble seeing changes to their body over the long-term, as well. Making a timeline of before and after pictures can help you really spot the differences in your body, making you aware of and proud of the progress you make.

The numbers that matter to you in particular. How you cope with different foods and your experiences and results. The areas you’re lacking and need balance in. Your own motivation and willpower. You need to develop an understanding of these. No external tips are going to help you until you can figure out how they fit into your health.