Everybody’s different in part because every body is different.
Many people think about dieting in terms of restricting what they eat temporarily and thus, we never shake the habits that limit us because many of our ideas surrounding food restriction that drives consumers toward temporary gains, diet pills, and fads. This is an unhealthy cycle that can become costly with no return on investment.
However, what if we looked at diet in terms of our routine and changing the foods that we enjoy, changing how much sleep we get, moderating our stress levels, and improving our own diets permanently so that we can learn to enjoy them and feel better overall in the process
Here are 10 ways to enjoy your diets by changing what you crave: from your plate to your routine.
1.Study your body and know your body.
Most dieting fads and programs will call for you to invest money and acclimate to their service or product. The problem with this is that we all are different. Study your body! Everyone works differently. Set realistic goals according to your body-type and personal life and your own needs so that you can be sure that it is sustainable. This might involve talking to a doctor, coach, nutritionist, and tracking how your body feels overtime.
2. Focus on the greater picture.
This means that it’s not all about your body. It’s not about the scale. It’s also about how much you sleep. When you consume what you consume, how stressed you might be, etc. Instead of thinking about health in terms of, “dieting”, look at it as a permanent change to a diet that compliments you. Your diet includes all aspects of your regimen: your sleep, your exercise schedule, and your emotional life. You might find that what you consume has a lot to do with your emotional life or other aspects of your health.
3. Make small changes to have a bigger impact.
Make small changes little by little and continue to track how your body feels. You might find that limiting or giving up alcohol for a period of time might have a substantial impact on your overall health. You might find that taking a break from dairy might be easier than you thought. One small change can have a drastic impact on your dietary goals and you might find that what seemed like a difficult diet was actually perfectly compatible with your metabolism. Be willing to make small changes.
4. Change your cravings by opening yourself up to different dietary choices.
Give other diets a chance before turning them down and be open minded to trying new things. You may find that you enjoy another diet more than you thought. Perhaps vegan food looks taboo but you want to give it a shot. Dive into the colorful culinary world by tapping into different cuisines around the world. Expand your taste-buds and give your diet a shot. When what you enjoy consuming is good for you, there isn’t much need to restrict yourself.
5. Find the exercise that makes you come alive.
If exercise is boring, you’re doing the wrong kind of exercise for you. Everyone has an activity that they love doing. If a typical gym routine doesn’t excite you, perhaps martial arts or dance might. The point is, exercise isn’t boring unless you’re tapping into a niche that doesn’t excite you. Exercising is a necessity for everyone’s cardiovascular health. Find the movement that works for you: Be it dance, the gym, rock-climbing, long walks, hiking, or yoga. Movement makes you feel better.
6. Implement a new emotional diet.
Feed your mind differently, from different messages to different media. Implement new emotional tools to help mitigate difficult emotions such as stress or depression. This could include a therapy plan, journaling, wholesome activities that help with grounding (meditation, worship/prayer, mindfulness, etc), laughing more, limiting exposure to stressful stimuli, or seeking more support.
7. Be honest with yourself.
Identify the habits that work against your best interest. We all know our own weaknesses. The sooner we can recognize and accept them, the sooner we can move on to overcoming them. It sometimes helps to make a list of weaknesses that counteract our overall health and fitness plan and to establish healthy coping mechanisms.
8. Stay disciplined until you adjust to the changes.
Sometimes it’s frustrating, at first, to build a new habit. At the beginning stages of making a change, this is a critical time when we are most vulnerable to relapsing into the habits that work against our best interest. Create a personal contract with yourself and stay consistent.
9. Recognize gains and positive impacts.
Eventually, our efforts will pay off. If you now have mostly healthy cravings, more endurance and stamina, or generally feel happier–take notice of how the changes you made are working. We can’t let our end goals eclipse the process of being healthy. It’s a huge step forward to be able to eat more of what you want when what you want is good for you. It’s a huge step forward to be feeling more hydrated, more strong, or more energized. These are lasting changes that will make more of a difference in the long run rather than immediate changes and results.
10. Support and accountability.
Sometimes a gym-buddy helps us stay on our path. We can also ask friends and family to hold us accountable. It is critical that we put ourselves in environments that help us to flourish and not everyone will support the change that we’re seeking.
