How many diets have you tried? If you’re a woman over 50, like I am, you probably need all your fingers and maybe even your toes to count them all.
The media has pushed the latest diet fads on us since we were old enough to watch TV or read magazines. So, it’s no wonder we’ve tried so many.
What if you could stop dieting to lose weight? In this blog, I’ll share why diets don’t work and what you should do instead.
For more tips, grab Your Key to Unlocking Weight Loss Secrets. This FREE document is packed with information to help you with your non-diet weight loss journey.
If you’re new to my blog, Welcome! I’m so glad you are here. My goal is to provide you with tips that help you stay strong and active as you age.
Here are some of my other blogs to check out after you read this one.
Reason 1 - Stop dieting to lose weight
Diets leave us feeling deprived of all the foods we love.
Diets always seem to start with eliminating foods – NOW! Starting today – No more french fries, no more sugar, no carbs and definitely no more wine.
Doesn’t it seem like all you hear is… NO MORE…?
Then, if you’re like me, the only thing you can think of is that food you CAN’T have. It quickly can begin to feel like a punishment, right?
Instead… You don’t need to eliminate any foods. A better approach is to limit the less healthy foods, but allow yourself to have them in moderation.
Reason 2 - Stop dieting to lose weight
Diets are not sustainable for the long-term.
If you’ve followed a diet for any length of time, then you know you will lose weight IF you stick with it long enough.
Losing weight is not the problem. Diets do deliver to that point, but what if you have a significant amount of weight to lose? Or what do you do after you’ve lost the weight?
Let’s be real. Most of us are not going to be able to restrict ourselves for an extended period of time which frequently leads to throwing in the towel before you reach your goal.
And, if you did lose it all, it’s highly likely that you jump back into your old eating patterns and, unfortunately, gain it all back.
Tip… Remember we’re creating a sustainable lifestyle not the quick fix that only lasts for a very short time.
If you haven’t gotten it yet, don’t forget to grab Your Key to Unlocking Weight Loss Secrets. Tip #1 is to stop dieting and start making small changes instead. This is the best way to lose weight without gaining it all back later.
Reason 3 - Stop dieting to lose weight
Diets rely on your willpower to keep you focused on weight loss.
How strong is your willpower? Mine has a tendency to leave me hanging when I need it most.
We also tend to beat ourselves up when our willpower fails us which only makes the whole weight loss process feel more like a punishment.
Instead… Create your why power. Why do you want to lose weight in the first place. If you want to lose 20 pounds. Why?
When you are super clear on the why, it will make it easier to stick with your healthy eating plan.
Reason 4 - Stop dieting to lose weight
Diets often lead to binge eating.
You’re doing great. You’ve been saying no to all the unhealthy foods and then WHAM!
You feel like you’re out of control and want to eat anything and everything.
Sound familiar?
Instead… don’t deprive yourself of the foods you love. If you’re having a craving for a chocolate chip cookie, plan for it and have one or two.
Just don’t go crazy with the whole box.
Reason 5 - Stop dieting to lose weight
Some diets eliminate entire food groups.
Some of the current diets severly restrict carbohydrates. For some individuals this may be necessary for medical reasons. For the rest of us, we need carbs for energy. By eliminating entire food groups you are also at risk of missing important nutrients, which is never a good idea.
Instead… eliminate processed foods and sugar if you want to eliminate anything. These are often just “empty” calories any way.
Reason 6 - Stop dieting to lose weight
Some diets severly resrict calories.
Too few calories can be as bad as too many calories. If you aren’t eating enough calories, it is difficult if not impossible to get all the nutrients your body needs. Your metabolism will also come to a screeching hault.
As we get older, our metabolism slows down enough on it’s own, we don’t want to make it worse.
If you’d like even more tips on building muscle, grab my 7-day workout plan.
Reason 7 - Stop dieting to lose weight
Diets don’t distinguish between fat loss and muscle loss.
Diets usually just look at what direction the scale is going, but that doesn’t tell us the whole story. You want to lose fat not muscle. The scale doesn’t differentiate.
Muscle burns more calories than fat AND as we get older we naturally lose muscle.
Tip… Add strength training to your routine to reduce amount of muscle lost or even gain muscle.
Reason 8 - Stop dieting to lose weight
Diets are short-sighted.
Diets are only focused on getting to the end result quickly. Maybe you’re saying “YES! I want to get there quickly”. However, if you only gain it all back in 6 months and you’re back on another diet, then it wasn’t really quicker.
Instead… Slow and steady always wins. Start by making small changes that you can sustain for the long-term. The “wins” from these small changes will soon be BIG.
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