“Dieting” vs. Lifestyle. What’s the difference? I really dislike the term dieting because the word alone just sounds miserable and like you’re missing out.
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is how I stay consistent year round. I’ll be honest and say self-discipline plays a factor BUT it’s much easier to stay disciplined and stay consistent when you actually enjoy what you’re eating.
The biggest mistake I see from women who come to me for coaching are that they’re under eating (sometimes unintentionally) and their approach to nutrition is so extreme. Will extreme measures get you results? Maybe initially. Maybe you drop a few pounds from super low carbs for a few days. But the truth is after a few days you start feeling so low on energy, your mood is garbage, and your cravings are out of control. So you toss the diet out the window and overload on all your favorite foods.
Now you’re back to square one. Your “progress” is gone and you probably repeat the same cycle over again, telling yourself this time you’re going to stick to the diet. This approach never works. Why? Because lasting results require consistency, and it’s unrealistic to think this approach to nutrition is something you will stay consistent with long term. Who wants to live off fish and asparagus? I sure don’t.
So what’s the alternative? You fuel your body efficiently, with foods you actually enjoy. My approach to nutrition has always and will always be with nutrient dense food. I view nutrition as way more than just hitting numbers (macros) and believe structure is important (more on my approach to nutrition in a later post)
But all of the food incorporated in my daily meals are foods I actually enjoy. If there are certain veggies you dislike, don’t eat them. Get creative and mix up seasonings, I swear this make such a difference. Take oatmeal for example. Plain oatmeal is pretty bland and personally I don’t ever eat it that way unless I’m traveling and really have no choice. But add cinnamon, stevia and sea salt (winning combination, trust me) and it’s a totally different game. Change the way you’re eating foods. Take egg whites for example. You can easily mix it up and make a quick recipe like my Spinach Tomato Egg White Cups vs just plain egg whites in a pan.
The truth is when you actually fuel your body properly, instead of using an extreme/restrictive approach, you’ll notice such a difference in the way you feel that it makes it hard to NOT stick with it. The way we eat impacts our mood and energy, and our ability to recover from workouts. When you see how good your body is actually designed to feel, I promise it’s something you’ll willingly want to commit to.
Not sure where to start? Send me an email. Give up the dieting mentality and learn how to make it a lifestyle! Sustainable methods for sustainable results.
