The diet industry represents a multi-billion-dollar business. False claims in a supplement bottle and unrealistic diets are everywhere. Sadly, many consumers believe in the latest diet trends or miracle supplements for quick weight loss. While it may sound good, diets are shown to be unsustainable.
Take note – all supplements are unregulated by the FDA and there is no guarantee of the quality, purity, or effectiveness of the products.
Restrictive Diets
Restrictive diets may have a place in certain clinical scenarios but are not ideal for general health improvement. For example, a study published by the National Institutes of Health indicates diets may result in short-term weight loss but are not sustainable in the long run. Furthermore, substantial evidence exists showing most dieters regain their weight plus more suggesting diets are ineffective.
Contrarily, a healthy lifestyle is shown to be a sustainable way to lose weight and improve overall health.
Sustainable Nutrition
Nutrition plays a significant role in our health and fitness. This doesn’t mean restricting calories on a fad diet as a way to a fitter body. It simply means implementing better eating habits for your fitness goals.
Diets are clinically proven not to be sustainable because most are overly restrictive and remove important macronutrients from daily food intake.
Eating all macronutrients including lean proteins, healthy fats, and good carbohydrates promotes optimal body function. On the other hand, any diet plan eliminating vital nutrients to reach fitness goals should be a red flag.
Eating Right
Fat loss and muscle gain are not about eating less just eating right. Furthermore, consuming nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, nuts, and seeds helps you reach fitness goals without feeling deprived.
Take note – eating right requires a review of your current nutrition to see where it may need improvement.
Nutritious foods usually contain fewer calories allowing us the freedom to eat more without feeling guilty. When your plate contains mostly vegetables and an appropriate portion of lean meat, counting calories is often unnecessary. According to nutrition experts, a healthy plate breakdown looks like this:
- Vegetables and fruits – ½ the plate
- Lean proteins – ¼ the plate
- Whole grains – ¼ the plate
The main message of healthy eating is to focus on nutrition quality.
Enjoy Your Life
A healthy lifestyle is meant to be enjoyed and not to feel like a burden. Contrarily, diets can cause you to feel deprived and frustrated. That said, diet products and shakes are not meant to be a substitute for eating real food.
We are meant to cook, eat, and enjoy real food. In other words, we are eating to live and enjoying the health benefits of good nutrition.
In closing, diets are not a sustainable way to get healthy. However, choosing a lifestyle that includes nutritious foods along with physical activity can help you achieve and maintain your fitness goals for life.
As a personal trainer and coach for over 30 years, I share videos and posts specific to the importance of aging well through proper fitness and nutrition on my Instagram page. I look forward to having you as a follower.
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