The term “How to lose weight” has almost 500,000 searches each month. If you are among on of these half a million people choosing your next diet to shed some pounds, asking yourself these questions will help you in your search.
What Do You Hope Your Next Diet Will Accomplish?
Diving deep into our motivations for going on a diet is essential. Weight loss is the most common reason people diet, but you need to be able to get deeper than that if you expect the motivation to create lasting change.
Do you want to lose weight for your health? To fit into a certain size jeans? To have less pain? More energy? Do some deep thinking about the true reason behind your dieting intention.
Keep this motivation in mind as you ask yourself the next questions.
How Long Will You Be Able To Stay On This Diet?
Most diets are not designed to be long term. Think about the rules of the diet. Are you going to be able to avoid bread for the rest of your life? Do you even want to?
There is a reason the diet industry is worth billions of dollars. Diets are meant to be started, failed, and started again, over and over and over. With the blame placed on you (how could it possibly be the diet’s fault?), you go in search of another diet that will really “work” this time.
Consider your lifestyle and how this diet will fit into the things you like to do and the ways you enjoy spending your time. Will the diet fit into your life or will it hold you back from enjoying yourself in the ways that matter most to you?
Do You Want Short Term or Long Term Results?
Most of us don’t start a diet with the hopes that we will lose weight quickly but in 6 months be right back at the same weight we started at. Even though this is not the intention, it is the reality for 80-90% of dieters.
All the work, the sacrifice, the frustration, and the time commitment is put into the diet only to achieve results that last for a short period. If you are looking for results to last a life time, maybe a diet isn’t the answer you are searching for.
Instead of Choosing Your Next Diet, Try This Instead
The diet industry does a fabulous job of making us believe that we need to go “all in” on a diet to see an improvement in our lives. What we know from past experiences, countless studies, and the growing worth of the diet industry is that they just don’t give people the long term results they truly desire.
If you can’t find a diet that will fit your lifestyle, is flexible enough to last for a lifetime, or truly get you closer to the results you are seeking, then maybe it isn’t a diet you should be starting after all.
Instead of choosing your next diet, make the choice to develop lasting changes in your life. Try changing your mindset to an overall commitment to health: physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Talk with a registered dietitian to help develop a personalized and flexible plan that is best for you.
Did you enjoy this article? Be sure to check out Why Eating Less and Exercising More Isn’t Working and 7 Ways to Make Everyday a Self Care Day.
