Dieting vs. Lifestyle Changes
With the summer far from near and the holidays right around it is often hard to stay motivated when it comes to healthy living. Whether it be your diet, exercise habits, or mental health all of these aspects are an important part in improving your overall health. If you are looking for tips on smart eating during the holidays check out our latest blog by clicking HERE! With that being said, there are clear differences between dieting and lifestyle changes. Throughout this blog we will discuss the difference between dieting and lifestyle changes as well as how to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout the year.
Dieting
A diet is defined as a special course of food to which one restricts themselves to due to medical reasons, weight loss, etc. Many people attempt to eat according to a specific diet at one point in their lives. Oftentimes people desire to go on a diet when they have an upcoming vacation or important event. Diets can result in undereating, hunger, fatigue, frustration, and discouragement. This is due to the fact that diets are short term solutions that are usually not healthy for your body. Whatever reason one may have for going on a diet, most traditional diets have defined characteristics. A few of these key characteristics include:
● Restriction of calorie consumption
● Timeline for weight loss
● Progress is based off a number on the scale
● Foods are categorised as either good or bad
Lifestyle Changes
A lifestyle change means modifying things we have control over such as your diet or daily routine. These changes are things that you follow throughout the rest of your life. Weight loss and weight management is a lifelong journey that requires consistent dedication and effort. It is important to remember that it takes hard work and a positive mindset in order to manage your weight. Things such as diets which are known as short term will not have nearly the same effect as lifestyle changes. Things that makeup lifestyle changes include:
● Exercising on a daily and consistent basis
● Following the idea of moderation rather than restriction
● Eating nutritious, whole foods that will foster your body
● Losing weight at a safe pace
● Measuring your progress beyond the numbers you see on the scale
With all of this being said, it is important to focus on long term lifestyle changes rather than short term dieting. Lifestyle changes teach you the importance of listening to your body. Although it takes quite some time to see differences in physical changes following a lifestyle shift, remember that these changes will be permanent. Dieting results in fast changes without the satisfaction of long term results. You will find that you are less likely to experience hunger, food deprivation, exhaustion, and stress with lifestyle changes. Research shows that dieting often leads to a regain of a lot of the weight you once lost which can be discouraging. If you are on the journey of weight loss or management of overall weight, make sure to consider these factors. You will not regret it!
Do not get discouraged.
Cora Shircel