The top reason that diets don’t work is because of the extreme changes a person tries to do in a short period of time.
Most Common Diet Mistakes
The main mistake I have seen over the years is doing too much all at once.
It could be a radical change in diet – usually severe calorie restriction. This coupled with too much exercise. That is correct, there is such a thing as too much exercise.
Often times a person who has been overweight for years has dieted and quit several times. Each time the approach has been a “lets just get this over with” sort of attitude.
They pick some new diet they see on TV and start exercising like an Olympic competitor.
This lasts for a few days and then its a high dive into a big bowl of Fruit Loops!
Your Failure is NOT Your Fault!
Many diets succeed by telling people what they want to hear and only in the small print will you read the truth. The strange fact is, you cannot successfully reach and maintain a healthy weight by using fad diets and extreme exercise programs.
The good news is there is a way to get what you need. That is through planning and knowing what steps to do and when.
How to Find the Diet Right For You
Does this sound like you?
- You have been sedentary and eating poorly for a long time.
- Every diet you have tried failed because it wasn’t a long-term solution.
- You know that if someone would SHOW you how to cook and eat you would be more successful.
If those three statements ring true with you then consider this.
Do NOT begin an exercise program UNTIL you have learned to eat for your needs.
Biggest (beginner) Exercise Mistakes among Dieters
When you start an exercise program that includes cardio and strength training you are putting your body to work. Your muscles actually break down and rebuild when you lift weights.
Within a few short days on your new fitness regime you are tired all the time and really hungry. This is a recipe for disaster if you have ever been a binge-eater or have historically had difficulty resisting food cravings.
What you were told would leave you lighter and energized has turned you into an exhausted starving mess.
What You can Do to Succeed
The first thing is to know, understand, and EXPECT that you will be tired, sore, and hungry. OR. You can go about it differently this time.
Do it in stages.
I know you want to “get it over with” but that won’t work. It hasn’t and there is no reason to expect it will. The next time someone says they lost 20lbs on some trick or diet, wait for it. Check back a few months later and see if it stuck.
I am suggesting you choose a meal plan that is healthy and something you can see yourself eating for the rest of your life. A menu full of delicious foods, healthy foods, foods that promote balanced weight, balanced hormone production, and give you lots of energy.
Then focus EVERYTHING you got on this new way of eating. Do this for 90 days. Convert your kitchen and cupboards into a health centre.
For those 90 days while you are learning how to eat and cook, just add 30 minutes of additional walking to your day. Walking is normal movement and your ancestors original form of transportation. Walking should not be considered an ONLY exercise.
When to Start Exercising
Start a cardio and strength training program at the 90 day mark. By now you have been feeding yourself healthy foods designed to keep you energized and heal your muscles for work.
You should start slow, feel your body as you progress. If you are obese or have joint problems don’t try and do what a 29 year old healthy person does. Buy books or programs specific to your body’s needs.
I will ALWAYS recommend you hire a personal trainer. Most people who are resistant to this idea say they can’t afford it. Considering most personal trainers charge less than your mechanic. Perhaps your mechanic will take you to the gym? Maybe your mechanic will make sure your body stays tuned for 80 years?
Get over it!
Not paying for a personal trainer is often because a person is so convinced they will fail they won’t invest in their own health!
You aren’t going to fail if you don’t quit. You have less of a chance of quitting if you have help and the best help is hired help.
Waiting and wishing for the support of friends and family might come, but unless one of them is a nutritionist and personal trainer, then they won’t be able to adequately advise you on what is best for you fitness wise.
I suggest you join your local gym, pay for training at least once a week, and go on your own for 2 or 3 more times (whatever your trainer prescribes).
Don’t forget, you aren’t starting this exercising for 90 days into a new clean healthy eating lifestyle so you WILL BE READY!
