Diets.
We’ve all done them.
You might have tried,
- Atkins
- Paleo
- Vegan
- Low carb
- Ultra-low fat
- Intermittent fasting
- Cabbage soup
Whatever one (or more) in the above list you’ve tried you’ve probably come “off the wagon” and potentially put back on any weight you’ve lost over the course of the diet.
Realistically, this is because most (if not all) diets out there simply don’t work.
They’re a short, quick fix to shock your body into eating differently and you’ll usually lose some weight when you step on the scales because you’ve gone through a dramatic calorie deficit due to restrictive eating on the diet plan.
This isn’t the way to go about things and is something we advise against at Masters Fitness.
When is Best to Diet?
So, when is the best day to start a new diet?
The simple answer is today.
It isn’t on a Monday (when most people choose to start their dieting and commonly fall off their new path after a couple of days or even a week).
And it isn’t on any other specific day.
The best day to start a diet is TODAY.
Why do people give up so easily?
Starting a new diet is hard. You need to focus your mind and understand that restrictions need to be adhered to: there’s no point changing your eating habits if you’re not going to cut back on all of the bad things you’re eating and drinking right now.
Notice how I didn’t say give up or cut out. Lots of people decide that “right, that’s it!” and start their new diet after they’ve had “one last splurge”, which is usually over the weekend.
Then, they completely cut everything out and are super strict on the diet. But, this doesn’t work. Every time you cut something out completely and go “cold Turkey” you’re putting a lot of strain on your body.
When that happens most people can’t cope with everything after a while (some last weeks while others last only days), you come off the diet and reset back to your old lifestyle choices.
In general, this can happen because when you’ve been eating unhealthily you can have lotd of toxins in your body. At the point when you start to eat more healthily you’ll begin to detoxify the body. This results in the toxins being broken down from stored fat cells and they enter your body’s systems.
This results in you feeling a little run down or tired all of the time because your body is trying to get rid of these toxins. Unfortunately, it’s also the time when you’re at your weakest because it’s a major bump in the road.
It’s at this point when it becomes hard and everything seems to fall to pieces.
How do most people react?
They say to themselves: “Right! My diet is ruined. I’ll eat what I want to eat now and I’ll start a fresh on Monday!”
There will always be hard parts
Whenever you’re changing something when it comes to health, fitness and nutrition, there are always going to be bumps in the road and times when you don’t feel great.
You can’t predict what the future will bring, but you can be on the lookout and anticipate times when you might just want some help, coaching or guidance at the point your motivation reaches a low point.
Start with small steps
By starting today with your new diet it means you can start small. There’s no need to have one last splurge over the weekend. You can cut out one or two bad things from your diet today (or reduce them significantly). And the great thing about it? You’re starting TODAY!
It doesn’t need to be about exercise either. All that you need to do is make some small, simple changes and big things can happen as you progress on your diet, lifestyle and body.
Small steps will help you achieve your big goals.
