My Diet Pet-Peeves and Tips :)
I am getting so sick and tired of hearing about these STUPID fad diets all the time. I hear about them at work, at the gym, from friends, and, of course, on Facebook and Twitter. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you eat only cabbage soup for a week you'll lose 5 pounds. Guess what happens when you eat a regular meal again...you gain back 5 pounds.
One "diet" that really gets me is The Master Cleanse. You drink a concoction of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper all day. Then, as if that's not gross enough, you get to drink salt water in the morning and herbal laxative tea at night. Are you kidding me? Once again, eat something normal and the weight will be back before you can blink.
Another one of my favorites is the Dukan Diet. There are 4 phases to it. For the first 7 days you can eat all the meat you want, but nothing else. The next week you can add vegetables, but only the 28 on the list. I'm not sure about the other two phases because nobody I've talked to has gotten that far. It's kind of like the Atkins diet, which is the diet I hate the most. You eat no carbohydrates whatsoever, but all the protein you want. So no, don't eat whole wheat toast for breakfast, but have as much bacon, sausage, and eggs as you want! How can that be healthy?
Why make yourself miserable with these ridiculous, unhealthy diets? I am by no means an expert on anything fitness/diet related, but I have lost 50 pounds, so I do know a thing or two. So here are a few of my tips.
1. The only way to lose weight in a healthy way is to maintain a diet with a variety of foods and exercise. Don't eat the same thing all the time. Your body needs different vitamins and nutrients that the same Lean Cuisine isn't going to give you everyday. Think about the food you can add to your diet instead of the food you're taking away.
2. Don't starve yourself or deprive yourself of all things good. That is one of the biggest mistakes people make. Portion control and moderation will help you stick to a diet. If you forbid yourself of all things good you are more likely to binge when you do eat something bad, (or good actually lol).
3. Don't make it a temporary obsession, make it a lifestyle change.
4. Find an exercise that you will stick to. I fell in love with Zumba, but that's not the workout for everyone. Some people find that paying for a gym membership forces them to go use it. If you have a favorite TV show, walk on the treadmill while you watch it, or do sit ups and push ups during a commercial break. You'll find that it distracts a little from the fact that you're working out.
5. Be held accountable. Tell people your goals so you'll feel more obligated to reach them. I tell my Zumba instructor and class my goals for that very reason. I know they'll encourage me and I see them at least 3 times a week, so I know they will want to know my progress.
6. Set smaller goals. The more goals you meet, the better you feel, and the more encouraged you are to keep going. Instead of trying to lose 100 pounds, try to lose 10 pounds, then another 10...
7. Don't reward yourself with food. When you meet a goal, go buy a new shirt (hopefully in a smaller size) or something that you've been wanting. Don't lose 10 pounds and reward yourself with Outback cheese fries. It completely defeats the purpose! Eat to exercise, don't exercise to eat!
8. Stop with the pop! Your body needs water. Period. Most people will drink soda all day without touching water. The more water you drink, the less food you'll eat. Also, when you're at a restaurant, drink a whole glass of water before your food arrives and you will eat less.
I have a million more food and exercise tricks I've developed in the past year, but I'll save those for a rainy day! I just feel like I'm seeing so many people losing weight, which is FANTASTIC, but several are doing it the wrong way. If you do it the wrong way, it will just pile back on. Rule #3 is my favorite and probably the most important. If you're trying to lose weight, good luck! I hope one of my tricks can help you too! :)
One "diet" that really gets me is The Master Cleanse. You drink a concoction of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper all day. Then, as if that's not gross enough, you get to drink salt water in the morning and herbal laxative tea at night. Are you kidding me? Once again, eat something normal and the weight will be back before you can blink.
Another one of my favorites is the Dukan Diet. There are 4 phases to it. For the first 7 days you can eat all the meat you want, but nothing else. The next week you can add vegetables, but only the 28 on the list. I'm not sure about the other two phases because nobody I've talked to has gotten that far. It's kind of like the Atkins diet, which is the diet I hate the most. You eat no carbohydrates whatsoever, but all the protein you want. So no, don't eat whole wheat toast for breakfast, but have as much bacon, sausage, and eggs as you want! How can that be healthy?
Why make yourself miserable with these ridiculous, unhealthy diets? I am by no means an expert on anything fitness/diet related, but I have lost 50 pounds, so I do know a thing or two. So here are a few of my tips.
1. The only way to lose weight in a healthy way is to maintain a diet with a variety of foods and exercise. Don't eat the same thing all the time. Your body needs different vitamins and nutrients that the same Lean Cuisine isn't going to give you everyday. Think about the food you can add to your diet instead of the food you're taking away.
2. Don't starve yourself or deprive yourself of all things good. That is one of the biggest mistakes people make. Portion control and moderation will help you stick to a diet. If you forbid yourself of all things good you are more likely to binge when you do eat something bad, (or good actually lol).
3. Don't make it a temporary obsession, make it a lifestyle change.
4. Find an exercise that you will stick to. I fell in love with Zumba, but that's not the workout for everyone. Some people find that paying for a gym membership forces them to go use it. If you have a favorite TV show, walk on the treadmill while you watch it, or do sit ups and push ups during a commercial break. You'll find that it distracts a little from the fact that you're working out.
5. Be held accountable. Tell people your goals so you'll feel more obligated to reach them. I tell my Zumba instructor and class my goals for that very reason. I know they'll encourage me and I see them at least 3 times a week, so I know they will want to know my progress.
6. Set smaller goals. The more goals you meet, the better you feel, and the more encouraged you are to keep going. Instead of trying to lose 100 pounds, try to lose 10 pounds, then another 10...
7. Don't reward yourself with food. When you meet a goal, go buy a new shirt (hopefully in a smaller size) or something that you've been wanting. Don't lose 10 pounds and reward yourself with Outback cheese fries. It completely defeats the purpose! Eat to exercise, don't exercise to eat!
8. Stop with the pop! Your body needs water. Period. Most people will drink soda all day without touching water. The more water you drink, the less food you'll eat. Also, when you're at a restaurant, drink a whole glass of water before your food arrives and you will eat less.
I have a million more food and exercise tricks I've developed in the past year, but I'll save those for a rainy day! I just feel like I'm seeing so many people losing weight, which is FANTASTIC, but several are doing it the wrong way. If you do it the wrong way, it will just pile back on. Rule #3 is my favorite and probably the most important. If you're trying to lose weight, good luck! I hope one of my tricks can help you too! :)
Comments
Post a Comment