How to stop Yo-Yo dieting!
Recognise that this is a long-term lifestyle change
You’ll find it much easier to maintain a healthy weight if you make this a long-term lifestyle change. It’s not going to happen overnight, and it’s not going to be easy in the beginning. That’s because we’ve all been conditioned to think that eating well and exercising regularly is something that can only be done for three weeks at a time before bingeing on junk food becomes inevitable.
But when you have the right mindset, seeing your health goals through until they become part of your everyday life feels incredibly rewarding. And the end result is worth it!
Reflect on your eating habits
The next step is to reflect on your eating habits. Are you eating the right kinds of foods? It can be difficult to know if your diet is on track or not, but there are a few things that will help.
The first thing to do is record everything you eat for a week. This can be done by writing it down or using an app like MyFitnessPal. The purpose of this exercise isn’t so much about tracking calories as it is about making sure that you are consuming enough protein, vitamins and minerals for optimum health.
Once you’ve had time to review what has been written down, there are some key areas that will clue into whether or not your diet is healthy:
- Are there plenty of fruits and vegetables?
- Is every meal balanced with proteins (like lean meat), carbs (like whole grains) and fat (such as olive oil)? If not, make adjustments accordingly until this balance becomes more regular in your meals!
Plan your meals
- Plan your meals.
- Prepare meals in bulk.
- Prepare snacks in advance.
- Plan your meals for the day, and then log what you eat so that you know what to expect when you’re hungry later on. Also, make sure to have a pen handy so that if there’s something else you want to eat at some point during the day, write it down immediately so that it doesn’t get lost among all of those other things people keep telling themselves they’re going to eat but don’t actually end up eating because they forgot about them (see: “I’m gonna get pizza” or “I’ll start my diet tomorrow”).
- Make a shopping list based on what you’ve logged and buy only those things at the grocery store/whole foods market/farmer’s market/etc., regardless of how much money goes into buying them or how many calories are contained within each item on the said list (and no matter how much weight may be gained as a result). If necessary, also consider investing in smaller-size containers so as not to overconsume while at work; this is especially important if one has plans later that evening!
- Want a done for you meal plan, shopping list and recipe book to get started? Click here to download your FREE Fat Loss Meal Plan to kick start your weight loss journey.
Find what works for you
If you have tried dieting and failed, start reading up on the latest nutritional research. You need to find a plan that works for you and your lifestyle. If cutting out sugar is something that appeals to you, try it! It’s amazing how much better we feel when we cut down our sugar intake.
If exercising regularly is something that appeals to you, try getting active in some way or another every day! Walking for 30 minutes every morning has been shown to help people lose weight and feel healthier overall. If intermittent fasting appeals to you then give it a shot! There are many benefits of intermittent fasting such as increased energy levels among other things and improved mental clarity which can help reduce cravings while dieting
Don’t go hungry
- Prepare yourself for hunger. If you’re preparing to cut calories, be prepared to feel hungry. It’s a fact of life that people tend to eat less when they’re dieting and more when they aren’t. The trick is finding a balance between feeling satisfied with enough food and not letting yourself get ridiculously hungry or skipping meals entirely just because you think it will help with weight loss in the long run.
- Don’t starve yourself. Starvation diets don’t work, even if that’s what we see on TV all the time! Restricting calories too low can cause metabolic changes that make losing weight more difficult down the line by slowing down your metabolism and making it harder for your body to burn fat efficiently.* Don’t cut out food groups completely—or at least not too many at once.* Don’t cut down on calories too much; listen to what your body needs so you can maintain a healthy weight without getting undernourished.* Don’t skip meals—fasting causes hormonal imbalances that mess up your metabolism over time, which means it will take longer than expected (and probably more effort) before those pounds come off.* Don’t be afraid of healthy fats like avocado or nuts—they’re actually good sources of energy!
By following these tips, you can lose weight and keep it off without the stress of yo-yo dieting.
The key to long-term weight loss is finding a lifestyle that you can stick to. This means making changes you can sustain for the rest of your life. Here are some ideas for creating healthy habits and breaking bad ones:
- Reflect on your eating habits. What do you eat? How often? At what times? If you’re not paying attention, these little things add up over time.
- Plan ahead by writing out a weekly meal plan with healthy meals that fit into your budget and schedule, or use apps like MyFitnessPal or Lose It!, which will help keep track of your calorie intake and exercise goals.
- Don’t go hungry! Snack throughout the day to keep from overeating at meals, especially if those meals are large portions (for example breakfast burritos). Make sure there’s always something in the house so that hunger doesn’t lead directly back into bad habits—even just having an apple handy when hunger strikes will help curb cravings before they take over completely!