Have you ever been on a diet? Were you successful or do you belong to the 95% of people for which diets fail in the long term. Yes, of course initially you will lose the weight but are you able to maintain the regime of eating differently or using meal placements. Before you go on a diet there are a few things you need to consider.

What does the word diet really mean? For most people it conjures up thoughts of the measures people take to lose weight. It is also a term used by food manufacturers to indicate that something is ‘supposedly’ healthy or has less of some seemingly undesirable ingredient. But the word diet itself simply refers to what we eat. We hear people say they’re “going on” a diet, but your diet is what you eat day-to-day.

So why does trying to lose the weight fail? There are seven reasons:

1. Physiologically we are different. We have different needs and requirements. One diet may work wonders for your neighbour but might not be the right plan for you.
2. Diets are hard to do. Most diets involve a significant change in a person’s normal eating habits over an extended period of time. But habits die hard; we cling to them because they fit in with our lifestyle and the people around us
3. Dieting relies on will power to keep us on the right track. Willpower is often very strong at the start of a diet when we are desperate to change but it can ebb and flow with the state of our health and the pressures and triggers of day-to-day life
4. Diets make you feel hungry and deprived. Research shows that no matter what your size, diets make you hungry and create powerful cravings for the very foods you are trying to avoid, e.g. sugar and fat. On top of these cravings, dieters also have to manage feelings of deprivation: ‘Everybody is eating what I’m not allowed to. They can have it – why can’t I?’ This kind of thinking is likely to lead to rebellious overeating. Diets can promote an unhealthy relationship with food and create a sense of deprivation.
5. Diets are not sustainable. People perceive diets as something you go on when you want to drop weight. A diet only works for as long as you are on it. Most people get bored with rigid eating plans and go off the rails from time to time. The trouble is that for many people a lapse is a sign of failure.
6. Some diets are gross and not even real food! Highly processed, refined and void of nutrients and above all unappetizing. How can you maintain this regime after you have finished the plan?
7. Diets fail to address the emotional aspect of overeating. People often eat to help deal with emotional problems, rather than because they’re hungry. This is normal, but some people gain weight because they turn to food for emotional comfort or to cope with negative feelings like anger or loss – for example, after a bad day at work, after a row with a loved one or as an end to a long week. Dieting doesn’t solve the problem of emotional eating. If anything, it makes people more depressed because it becomes one of the issues that cause overeating. And losing weight can make things worse, because people have to cope with the pressures and expectations of their new body shape.

Then why do we keep ‘going on a diet’? Because it brings us in a state of euphoria and gives us a sense of achievement; we have done well. If we fail we will be even more driven as it must be possible again. The success of the diet industry is based on our feeling of being in control and trying to get that feeling again and again. Have you ever wondered why there are so many diets around and why new ones appear all the time? Because they don’t work!

The first step towards permanent healthy weight loss is somewhat ironically to lose the diet and the diet mind-set. Instead think about a Healthy Eating Plan that you could live with and enjoy for life. The best answer to dieting is: A lifelong plan of everyday healthy, pleasurable eating coupled with regular exercise. To help you on your way here are 4 tips:

1 Eat Well

• Avoid eating processed convenience foods as they are high in sugar, fat and salt
• Have 6 eating moments a day to avoid a rise in your blood sugar level
• Never skip breakfast
• Eat at least 5 (preferably 8-10) vegetables and fruits a day in a variety of colours
• Increase the consumption of good fats found in fatty fish, nuts, seeds, flaxseed, chia seeds, olive oil, coconut oil and avocados
• Drink no packed fruit juices and little alcohol as they are high in sugar
• Cook from scratch with the best ingredients you can afford, preferably organic
• Eat lean protein with every eating moment to curb cravings; e.g. chicken, lean mince, fish, low fat natural yoghurt or cottage cheese, beef, soya milk/yoghurt etc. but NO PORK.
• Choose wholemeal bread, crackers, rice, pasta, barley or quinoa to increase fibre
• Divide your plate into 3 sections. 1/3 protein, 1/3 vegetables and 1/3 carbohydrates (potatoes, pasta, rice) preferably more vegetables than carbohydrates.

2 Water

Drink plenty of pure water or herbal tea every day.
Our body consists for 70% out of water and it is important to keep it hydrated as it helps to improve your skin and bones, removes toxins, aids digestion, improves concentration to mention just a few of the benefits.

3 Exercise

Build exercise into your life every day to keep you healthy.
A minimum of 30 minutes brisk walking a day would be ideal. Get gardening, clean your house, run up the stairs a few times, take your bike out, go for a swim or join a fitness club.

4 Sleep

Do not take your worries to bed!
Aim to be in bed by 10pm; the hours before 12 midnight give you the best quality of rest. Avoid all screens at least one hour before bedtime and sleep in the dark.

Lose the diet, Lose the weight; 4 simple steps was written by Leonie Wright m: 07752 420005 e: leonie @ eatwright.co.uk website: www.eatwright.co.uk

This month nutrition coach, speaker and author Leonie Wright has introduced an exciting new, Dutch healthy eating plan into the UK.

The EatWright Plan is designed to transform lives and the results in Holland have been spectacular: with an average weight loss of 10 pounds, some people on the diet were able to reverse type 2 diabetes, reduce high blood pressure and reduce their biological age by 15 years.

The plan was also shown to benefit cholesterol levels, the heart and arteries, digestion, sleep and snoring, symptoms of the menopause and self-confidence.

With The EatWright Plan you will cleanse the body in a short period of time, getting rid of stored fat and bringing your body back into balance.

Typically, you can expect to lose 5 to 8kg (11 to 18 lbs) during the course of the plan and you will gain valuable insights into the way you eat, drink and exercise.