We are wrapping up the first annual Biggest Loser Contest soon, and let us first and foremost congratulate all of our contestants on a job well done! Most have lot a significant amount of weight, and we wish them continued success.
Last week’s blog was about three simple, yet powerful choices anyone can make that will dramatically improve their health, and lose weight. Today we will answer the most hotly debated question in nutrition: What is the best diet for you?
If you are like many people wanting to lose a few pounds, or if you desire a healthier lifestyle, you have probably tried several diets in your life. You might remember the South Beach Diet, Nutrisystem, Atkin’s (the first time it was popular), and you’re probably familiar with more recent fads: Juice cleanses, Paleo Dieting, Ketogenic diets, and the vegan or gluten/sugar free movements. Believe it or not, almost all of these can be effective for weight loss. Most utilize caloric restriction, encourage exercise, and recommend drinking plenty of water. However, most fad diets fail to be sustainable, or continually effective for over a year. This is why they are called fads, and why they last almost as long as current fashion trends.
So what is the right diet for you? For starters: We do not recommend fad dieting at La Misión Fitness & Yoga. We actually don’t recommend any type of diet over the other. Among our clients and staff we have vegetarians, high-carb dieters, low-carb dieters, individuals who eat mostly red meat, and even a few ketogenic dieters. Instead of recommending a specific diet to anyone, we recommend a few basic principles to help our clients pick the diet that is best for them.
Principle #1: Your diet should match your values
Food is more than energy. While food does provide our bodies with energy we make food choices based on many other factors, including: our culture and upbringing, our emotions, our budget, our allergies and intolerances, and our moral/political values. Food becomes our connection to our past, present, and an expression of our beliefs. We make these decisions every day subconsciously when we prepare our meals, but it would be beneficial for all of us to reflect on the reasons why we make our food choices.
Principle #2: Your diet should be sustainable
This principle is where most fad diets fail. Many work great for six weeks, 90 days, 6 months, or even a year. However, the protocols in most fad diets are too difficult or even unhealthy to keep going for a long time. You want to choose a diet that you can sustain for a long time in order for it to be effective. The diet should also be modifiable enough so that once you lose all the weight you need to lose, you can keep it off.
Principle #3: Your diet should be improve your well being
This should go without saying, but it is astonishing how many people are currently on a diet that makes them miserable. Again this is another failing of most fad diets. Not only are fad diets hard, they usually incorporate strange foods or supplements, or cut calories too dramatically. This can make life hard for a time. No matter what diet you choose, you should always be able to eat foods you like, and it shouldn’t dramatically decrease your quality of life.
So to answer the question, What is the best diet for you? we would say any diet that best matches the above principles.
By utilizing these three principles, determining the right diet for you will be much easier. There are still many personal questions you’ll have to ask yourself, and of course you’ll have to be personally motivated to start a new diet. However, if you are ready for nutrition and wellness consultation, please come by La Misión Fitness & Yoga today so that we can get you off to a good start.
-Corey Evans