I enjoy rich and savory meals, and yes, that includes certain packaged foods. That is why restricting these foods is hard. Resisting freshly baked bread with garlic butter or warm olive oil is complicated. So, what’s a girl to do? I drink more water, talk to my guests, or reluctantly check my phone, which I promised to keep my phone off the table. So, I have the bread with some warm olive oil. The appetizer tray comes around with short ribs, warm spinach artichoke dip, and tortilla chips; I enjoyed every morsel. What are calories if you can’t share them with family and friends? Our love affair with food is sometimes complicated, but we all can agree that the foods we eat help to define our health.
Currently, processed foods dominate our health because they are fast, easy, and temporarily satisfy us. However, we deprive ourselves of essential vitamins by overeating processed food, which means our cells’ needs are never met. If the body is starved of vital nutrients, no dieting will keep the weight off. Processed food and its effects on health are often overlooked in favor of convenience, but they play a significant role in how we feel and function daily.
That’s why I could not go on a diet—it feels like self-sabotage. Dieting for weight loss requires strict self-control, which is not realistic because of our changing cravings, and that is the side effect of going on a diet. Going on a diet sounds good until, after a month, you realize you have hit a plateau. It’s as if your metabolism stopped working, but more importantly, it slows down. Over time, you will gain half or all of the weight back. However, if you change your lifestyle and approach to food, you will achieve balance and results. Adopting a healthy lifestyle instead of restrictive dieting is key to long-term success in weight management and overall health.
Enjoy what you eat, so that maintaining a healthy weight is not so stressful.
You do not want to feel miserable after eating what you perceive as a delicious meal. Yet, most of us do, especially when we do not consume foods that give us lasting energy. No one wants to feel sluggish or guilty after enjoying a meal. Most of us binge eat on what we restrict in our diets. Foods that give us some pleasure and comfort are considered “bad,” so we avoid them until we can’t anymore. Instead of removing savory foods, we should always combine them with more nutritious meals. So that pint of ice cream is never in my hands for long. I put some in a small bowl with various nut toppings, and that’s it. Before you know, it is lockdown weight gain, and you are back to square one. Being home gives me more time to cook and experiment with new flavors. Collard greens have never been my favorite, but I discovered a way to make it enjoyable. Listen, life is stressful enough, so your weight loss journey and food choices shouldn’t have to be.
Eat for nutrition and satisfaction, so you can feel fuller and more energized.
You do not want to feel miserable after eating what you perceive as a delicious meal. Yet, most of us do, especially when not consuming foods that give us lasting energy. No one wants to feel sluggish or guilty after enjoying a meal. Most of us binge eat on what we restrict in our diets. Foods that give us some pleasure and comfort are considered “bad,” so we avoid them until we can’t anymore. Instead of removing savory foods, we should always combine them with more nutritious meals to maintain a healthy balance.
So that pint of ice cream has never been in my hands for long. I put some in a small bowl with various nut toppings, and that’s it. Before you know it, lockdown weight gain happens, and you are back to square one. Being home gives me more time to cook and experiment with new flavors. Collard greens have never been my favorite, but I discovered a way to make it enjoyable. Healthy meal preparation can help turn even the least favorite vegetables into a delicious option.
Listen, life is stressful enough, so your weight loss journey and food choices shouldn’t have to be. By nourishing your body with wholesome foods, you can avoid that uncomfortable post-meal feeling and support your long-term health goals.
Accept that there is no diet plan out there that’s specific to your needs.
For the most part, we all want to eat whatever we want without an active lifestyle and keep the extra pounds off. Hence, we try all these diets for weight loss, hoping the pounds will melt away and never return. Most people want rapid weight loss results, primarily fueled by their desire for that “perfect summer body.” I believe any goal you set for yourself is worth putting in the extra effort and having a lot of patience for. If you have a particular fondness for sugary drinks, fast food, or overeating, don’t expect exercise alone to help your weight loss journey without cutting out or significantly reducing your consumption.
When people say they are going on a diet, they often don’t give themselves any flexibility to figure out what will work. It should not be that way because you must balance nutritious and comfort foods. Your diet plan should be inclusive and palatable; that way, it prevents you from overeating foods that lack vital nutrients. You will get the desired results if you consider your nutrition part of a lifestyle change and turn off all the “diet” noise.