Why Your “Diet” May Be Flawed…
Tuesday, January 4th, 2011
The majority of Americans are on some form of a "diet" right now. But by February, many of them will fall back into their old habits. Why? Why do so many people fail when they really only just got started? Why didn't their "diet" and new way of life stick longterm?
A facebook and twitter colleague @tomhfit of Team Holland wrote on his wall yesterday:
If your "diet" has an end date, it is flawed from day one.
Having a date of completion motivates us to give it our all. After all, this is what competitive athletes do – train hard for their next competition and then rest. The big difference is that these athletes continue to seek out new goals to fuel their inner fire. There is no ultimate end date. Instead, there are multiple landmarks along the way.
A "dieter" on the other hand typically says, "by XXX, I will be XXX weight." Then what? Do they have an action plan for post weight loss? Do they set themselves up with another goal if they reach this first one? What if they fail? Do they give up? The answer to this last question is often a big resounding YES. And often a big NO for the first two.
What's Good About Having An End Date?
In my client session this morning, we spoke about the importance of dates and how motivating it can be. She will be participating in my 21-Day Group Detoxification Program and is excited to plunge forward knowing that she can do this…after all, it's only 21-days.
Yes, an end date allows us to put our eye on the prize. It motivates us to be our best for a set number of days and then to celebrate our accomplishments! It forces us to get off our butts and do something new that is good for us!
The Bad News About Having An End Date…
If you don't have an action plan for after your set number of days, you're doomed. You must, must, must incorporate everything you've learned into your way of life. Goodbye are the days of crash dieting and hello to the days of lifestyle management.
Your end date can give you permission to binge. One celebration or one night of sugar coated snacks leads to another and another and yet another….until you are back to your old weight and then some.
Shall I Keep or Toss?
Keep your dates but never look to your dates as finality. Instead, keep giving yourself new challenges to keep yourself on track. Model your efforts after your athlete friends or look to a professional athlete for inspiration. View your "diet" as a way of life. If you can't do this, than it's not the right diet for you. Or, your diet just needs to be modified to meet your goals and needs.
So, use dates but make them plentiful and ongoing. Be kind to your body and take care of it daily, not just every January. It's a New Year and you can make every month, week or even day a reason to put health as a top priority in your life.
In Health,
Alison Held, M.S.
Clinical Nutritionist
Our eating habits can easily fall short this time of year. Putting some quick and easy methods to work will help you better manage the stress and create more peace of mind during this hectic holiday season.
