October 11, 2014

The Reason You Will Fail at Your Next Diet.

0 Boost Score Andrea Riggs (1,510,185)

887

Dieting, yuck! Everyone hates that word with a passion.

Being in the fitness industry, even I hate it! The entire essence of a diet leaves a lingering dark cloud of failure looming around us.

I have helped hundreds through my own—and other world renowned—fitness programs and as much as I hear that 80% of our actual “look” is nutrition and 20% is fitness, I am a true believe that fitness and nutrition have an equal partnership in the success of health and our overall look.

Here are three reasons dieting will never work and why most of us will fail at our next diet:

1. Not Sustainable

Anytime we change our eating habits drastically (usually by a major caloric decrease), we lose water and muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so by hugely decreasing our calories, and many times fat (which is counterproductive) we lose inches and weight!

Note: We do not want to lose any water nor any muscle. By increasing our muscle mass we can increase our ability to burn fat. Muscle is a good thing! We want as much as possible; it will aid in a higher metabolism and thereby assist fat loss by burning fat while we sleep.

The problem is that this drastic change in our life, we realize many times, is not sustainable. After a week of deprivation, most of us have given up. Often times we feel as though we are a total failure all over again. And since failure is inevitable, we plop one more scoop of ice cream into the bowl that night to top off yet another epic fail. Unsustainable changes actually hinder our fat loss goals.

2. Lack of Understanding

When we choose to alter what we are eating without a clear understanding of why we are doing it, it’s easy to slip up. Especially if we are changing our eating habits to habits that are actually driving us further away from what we truly desire.

Our seemingly focused and steady “change” (even if only for a week or two) is easily derailed by, anything. Any excuse to fail or quit is looked upon as a “way out.” Many of us that choose fad diets are looking for “the secret.”

When it is not found and the truth sets in that there is no new magic solution, it is easy to quit. When we lack understanding of why we are doing the diet of choice, there is no foundation from which to build. Unless we are given the knowledge we need to understand the whys and why nots, our diet has very little “weight” and failure is natural.

3. Food instead of Fitness

As a fitness business owner, developer of a high energy fitness program, Certified Personal Trainer (NASM) and group fitness instructor, I see client after client coming in and looking better and better! What did they change? Not their food, just their fitness level.

What happens when we only change our diet is that we lack motivation to keep up the good work. Millions of us work; we sit at computers, even though restricting our caloric intake may give us “some” visible results and feel better, that change can be difficult to maintain without implementation of something that gets your body moving!

When we choose food over fitness, we lack the sustainability and motivation needed that implementing fitness, or fitness and nutrition can provide.

The future does not have to be so gloomy for us. That desperate wanting for our future bikini bodies does not have to go unrealized. There is hope, there is always hope!

The three tips will ensure your success in attaining the body you desire:

1. Know your why!

Why do you want a better body? What is it that it will give you? Fitting in and “looks” are all image and superficial aspects and not your why. But, those superficial answers can help you get to your why. Just keep asking yourself, “Why” until you get to the dirt, the real reason of why you want a better body. This is where it gets real. This can be a process and even take us a couple of days. Once you know it own your why, write it down and hang it on your bathroom mirror. Now you are ready for the next step!

2. Find the Program that works best for you.

Free is the name of fitness these days! We have access to hundreds, even millions of free workouts, ideas and programs. In today’s high tech world any information is available at any time. Remember, when choosing a fitness program it is important to research it and make sure that the program we choose gives us the knowledge and understanding we need to make a lifestyle change. Diets never work, lifestyle changes do. Small sustainable changes are much better for us in the long run than simply doing a fad diet for a week or so.

3. Find Movement you Adore

I am a firm believer that for many of us it first takes fitness to feel better. Once we find a fitness program or outdoor activity that we adore (shoot or can at least be motivated to stick with) we begin realizing how much better we feel. When we feel better, especially about ourselves, we then choose to eat better. That motivation comes from seeing even the slightest results with fitness.

When we add nutrition to fitness and add “a grade” supplementation, we speed up the results massively. Start moving how you can, do what you can today to begin your journey. Find something you love. Stick with it and I promise, the other facets of health and wellness will come into the light. They will begin to shine through and you will feel the light, truth and knowledge that really were with you all along. It simply was dampened by “images” and our own feelings of inadequacy and lack of self-confidence.

You are amazing; you are beautiful, right here and right now.

Our bodies may not look exactly how we want, but until we all learn to accept ourselves for who we truly are, and learn to love that person, can we begin the change that will truly last. Until we are surrounded and supported by those that love us and believe in us, will we realize that the power within us is real.

Once we have found the tools and true understanding to succeed, we will realize the gift that our bodies truly are. Then, our life won’t just be another epic fail on our list of unsuccessful diets and to-do lists. We will have changed; we will have the love and understanding to get the body and life of our dreams.

You see this is a process and takes time, effort and patience. Most of us are unwilling to look deep inside, which is why….most of us will fail at our next diet!