Most Common Mistakes - Following Crazy, Fad Diets
It’s no accident I’m posting this one now.
Christmas is here, and New Year is just a week away; meaning there’ll be a LOT of people starting ridiculous “Diets” in an attempt to lose weight “this year”.
For many, this is the same goal as last New Year… and the previous one… and quite possibly a few before that too!
Crazy, fad Diets DO NOT WORK.
At least not long-term.
If you’re morbidly obese, extreme measures may be necessary in the short-term because the benefits outweigh the dangers.
If you just want to lose a few pounds (or even a few stone), it’s unlikely that these popular “Diets” will really work for you.
Much the same as people lose weight by joining a slimming club (no need to name them), only to return to said club time and time again, often because “it worked before”.
This madness needs to stop. A good nutrition plan (not “Diet”) will teach you how to eat properly and fuel your body. It will change the way you eat forever, not give you a plan to follow for X number of weeks.
If a Diet worked for you - you wouldn’t need to return and do it again at a later date.
True nutrition will evolve with you, and as your weight changes, your body composition changes, your activity levels change. Calorie targets will change. Macro targets will change.
There’s no one fixed diet. Even if you find what works for you right now, it will need to change a bit further down the line.
So, with New Year’s resolutions just around the corner, PLEASE don’t jump on the bandwagon of whatever popular Diet you’ve been hearing about most recently.
You don’t need to forgo carbs.
You don’t need to avoid fats.
You don’t need to go keto, or vegan, or paleo, or carnivore.
You don’t need to buy this or that supplement or replace half of your meals with shakes.
You also don’t need to cut out treats and foods you enjoy!
You could join a slimming club for the support group, but chances are, the actual “Diet” they put you on won’t be your best solution.
My advice:
Find someone who can advise you on how to sensibly incorporate improvements into your current diet, not change it entirely.
Find a support group - be it your spouse or partner, family, friends, colleagues or a group on the internet who you can turn to for support and encouragement.
You don’t all have to have the same goals (although that may help).
You don’t have to all be following the same diet (in fact, you probably shouldn’t).
You just need people to talk to, who are going through the same struggles as you, and can offer support when you need it.
You can share recipes and ideas, and when you’re struggling to stick to things, they can keep you on the straight and narrow. This is essentially what a good coach will do (except the coach will also be able to advise you on what may work best for you, right now).
Obviously, my best advice is to find a coach to guide and help you through the whole process.
A support group is still advisable, but beware of well-intentioned people “helping” with nutrition advice! They mean well but are often mis-informed or simply repeating what worked for them or someone they know - this may work for you, but it’ll be pot luck.
Get the fundamentals of nutrition down before you try anything more specific.
Set an appropriate calorie target.
Eat plenty of protein (eat it at every meal).
Stay well hydrated.
Sleep 7-9 hours a night.
Get plenty of exercise AND train at least a couple of times a week.
Really, until you’ve mastered these basic things, anything more will be beyond you and unlikely to work anyway.
Contact me if you want to work with me. Let’s have a chat and we’ll take it from there :)
Mark
