In this post, we’re talking about diets. And more importantly, why your diet isn’t working. And what you can do to turn that around! YUP. 3 real reasons why your diet isn’t working and what to do instead. Are you ready? (This post is NOT about yo-yo dieting, something I am very against. You can read more about that here.)
3 Reasons Why Your Diet Isn’t Working & What Can You Do About It?
So, let’s get right into the nitty-gritty, how many of you out there have started a “diet” to just give up at some point? Why do you think you gave up? Apparently, the basic reason is that it wasn’t working, but why?
Let’s call a spade a spade, shall we? The majority of the time is because we jump into a diet because it promises miraculous results in a completely unrealistic amount of time, but it looks really “sparkly” and like it could work. But then it doesn’t… So let’s break it down as to why.
1. The “All or Nothing” Mentality
Who goes in all “gung-ho” and is ready to give their right eye as their penance to achieve incredible results? You are absolutely all in, no if, and’s, or but’s about it. But what happens when you take on this mindset is that you lose complete balance. And we do not live in a world of imbalance. We live in a world of ebbs and flows and adaptation because we cannot control each and every factor.
More importantly, our bodies do not live out of balance for very long. Our internal beings, meaning very clearly, our internal organs and physical beings thrive on homeostasis. This means stability; the stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, ESPECIALLY in physiological processes! So in very simple terms, balance!
We cannot choose an all-or-nothing mentality followed by supporting nutrition plans and expect our bodies and minds to respond positively. We need to understand, that moderation is key. The all-or-nothing mentality will only trigger unsustainable behavior patterns.
Think about it, a car going at its top speed, 165mph nonstop will eventually run out of gas. And so will we. Our bodies require ups and downs, move and rest, eat and digest. Now please, do not get me wrong, we can absolutely operate at what’s best for US and our own personal lives. But the problem we first encounter is we try to gauge and limit ourselves to what works for others and then we mirror them. So I’ll be snarky and say, does your DNA identically match whoever you’re trying to be in the image of? Exactly, carry on…
2. Lack of Balance
And here it is.., going all into a one mindset way of life will not allow for balance. And as stated above, balance is KEY and does not go hand in hand with the all-or-nothing mentality. Now, what is a balanced “diet?” As it clearly states in its name, a balanced diet is one that provides proper nutrients and minerals to function at our best. There are six vital nutrient groups needed to achieve balance; namely CARBOHYDRATES, proteins, and fats, these first three are your Macronutrients. Then we have your Micronutrients: vitamins, minerals, and lastly water.
So let’s take it outside of the Homosapien box please, think of another mammal that you can relate to. We don’t normally consider ourselves animals in the general sense because we walk upright and have highly evolved brains (that normally guide us incorrectly I’ll snarkily say), but we are in fact mammals.
And let’s break it down a little deeper, then we can compare how we operate versus the general animal kingdom and why does it seem most animals have a narrow diet? But in fact, they do not. Animals will always incorporate all levels of nutrients in order to survive whether it be from bugs (for the herbivores) or internal organs (for the omnivores). All of which provide said animals with the nutrients that are completely balanced and imperative for survival.
So when we allow our brains to trick us and lead us to believe any one of the nutrient groups is “bad” or detrimental to our progress, we have just removed the necessity of balance in order to achieve long-term, sustainable results for LIFE!
So how do we fix this? Remove all the negative chatter that speaks against any specific food group and focus on the bigger picture of macro content; your CARBOHYDRATES, fats, and proteins. When you target those larger groups, your micronutrients will flow easily and balance is had!
P.S. I capitalized CARBOHYDRATES on purpose which I’ll speak to at a later date and put that hand in hand with misconceptions that have been thrown into the health and wellness industry and have wreaked absolute havoc on our mindsets!
Moving on…
3. Setting Unrealistic Goals
Lastly, here’s our last Reasons why your diet isn’t working. We all have these dreams and fantasies about where we want to be and what we want to look like and how we’re going to absolutely give our firstborn child to achieve it… REALLY!!!??? (Insert eye roll please).
Unfortunately, the lovely world of technology has clouded our vision and thrown absolutely unrealistic goals and aesthetics in our faces. Filters and posing has made us believe certain things are possible when they just are not. And this is where we need to truly pull it inward and look to ourselves as being the most incredible individuals we are. We all have the ability to achieve what we absolutely truly want in life but we must be realistic about how we go about achieving it.
Two things:
- Always remember, if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is!
- We always overestimate what we can achieve in one year and underestimate what we can achieve in 5!
So be gentle, patient, and realistic. Understand what your schedule and lifestyle look like. Be completely open-minded to the idea that when you do lose .5lb, 1lb, or even .25lb, that is still progress. Give yourself the knowledge to also know that it is NOT all about scale weight.
Learn that there are so many more non-scale victories that come with working towards an overall health and wellness goal. Remove the scale from the equation and set goals that have absolutely nothing to do with a number on an electronic piece of fuckery (yes I cursed). Set a goal to get back into a pair of jeans you haven’t worn since your pre-pregnancy days. Feel confident in a tighter fitting shirt that hugs all the right beautiful curves that we are blessed to possess as women!
Strut into a room of colleagues or family members wearing that body-hugging dress that shows off your “tata’s.” Or be able to wear that bikini on the beach with your family and OWN the picture that you asked a fellow patron to take. Because you found your confidence in knowing you are stronger than you were when you started. That you are able to do so much more in the gym now. Whether it be lifting heavier, running longer on the treadmill, rowing stronger or doing a simple back squat that you never thought was possible.
We know a doctor can’t become a doctor without years of studying and test-taking and practical exams. What makes us think we can undo years of bad habits in 3 months? If it takes years to create something. Let’s understand it is going to take some tough love, hard moments, and TIME to achieve what you have chosen to set out to do.
Life cannot be all or nothing, unbalanced and unrealistic by any stretch of the terms. They all work hand in hand in every single part and moment of our lives. So let’s make sure we all understand that what we see out there in the world is all marketing, propaganda, and filtered “rays of sunshine.” So let’s make it our time to SHINE within our own light and show the world what REAL is!
Always in all ways, you are able! You just have to want to…
If you are ready to have a Nutrition plan that WORKS so that you can walk into Summer looking (and feeling) your BEST… Come join our “90 Day Summer Countdown Personalized Coaching!” A plan that will set you up for success, not only for the Summer but after it too! For information on how to get started, send me a msg HERE with the words “SUMMER BLOG”.
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