“Diet” is always a touchy word. The mere thought of dieting evokes fear in people that have tried hundreds of times and failed. However, there are key factors that go into a successful diet. Here are 4 reasons you AREN’T succeeding at your diet.
1.) You wait too long to eat. The body is highly scientific. However, if you break it down and know some basic functions then you can understand how it works. Blood sugar plays a key role in keeping you thin. If you go too long without eating then your blood sugar levels drop. When you finally eat, you overeat, then the levels spike causing an increase in insulin. Lots of food means lots of insulin leading to “food coma.” Since your body isn’t used to eating frequently it knows you won’t eat again for 4, 5, or maybe even 6 hours. It then stores the food for later thinking that you are starving. This leads to the syndrome “but I don’t eat that much and look how over weight I am.”
2.) Forgive and Forget. I’d like to say that obese people are the most forgiving of their diet failures, but this is far from the truth. Most people who struggle with weight gain are the opposite. They are your overachivers, your “type A’s”, and they are VERY hard on themselves. The hardest thing to do is to get these people to “forgive” their actions and start the day new once they’ve messed up. Forgive your actions and start forgiving yourself before you even finish your cheat meal. This way you don’t ruin your whole day, only that one meal.
3.) Your diet is too strict. If you don’t allow some little “fun foods” here and there you might be shooting yourself in the foot. With several of my clients I allow them one cheat meal a week. This allows them to feel as though they aren’t doomed to always eat the same foods for life. Without a little fun you are sure to get depressed, upset and frustrated. If you don’t think you can do a cheat meal (some can’t) then find a food that feels like your cheating but your not!
4.) Vitamins. Yep, something so simple that the human race forgets that it could mean the difference between staying on your diet or running into that donut shop. If you aren’t getting the vitamins you need then you will set yourself up for cravings. Cravings lead to binge eating which will always mess up your diet.
Are you a victim of any of these 4 reasons??? Take these fitness tips to heart and you will be able to conquer your fears of dieting.
Adria Ali
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