ARE YOU FAILING YOUR DIET? OR IS THE DIET FAILING YOU?

"Dear Diet, it's not working between us. It's you, not me..."

If you have 'dieted' before, you may know how you feel when you don't get the result it promised or you hoped for. You may think:

"It wasn't for me" or "That one didn't work. I'll try another one" The reason "diets" fail, is mainly because they are too restrictive.

Everyone is different. What that means that there is no flexibility in them. There are rules you have to follow, and if you break the rules, the diet goes out of the window, making you feel like you've failed and then likely to give up. Then the process starts again. Take yo-yo dieting for example. You lose a bit of weight - Result! Then come off the "diet" then the weight goes back on. You feel like crap, then go back on the "diet" lose weight - Result! Then the process starts again. (I'll cover yo-yo diets in another post)

NOTE: The reason you lose weight on these "diets", is that they put you in a calorie deficit, but restrict the types of foods - Usually omit a food group (usually carbohydrates), but still restrict your calorie intake.

Let's say you're on this meal plan a trainer has given you or on a diet that you've heard of. It's restrictive in the sense that you have to stick to it by the letter. You've got a friend's birthday night out coming up on the weekend - There will be alcohol, cake, meal out, etc... but this meal plan or diet doesn't allow you to eat and drink such things. What do you do? Do you not go for your friends' birthday night out? Or do go out, enjoy yourself, blow the diet and feel that you've failed the meal plan and either quit or "start again on Monday"? Neither. You need to change your perception of dieting and make it work for you. Flexible dieting works! For example: I have lost 2% body fat and gained 2lb of lean muscle in 8 days of flexible dieting (plus working out) It's not restrictive (hence the name flexible) - you can eat what you like (within reason) and still lose weight! To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit (less calories being consumed verses the amount needed for everyday activities) So if you know you are going out for your friends birthday, you almost 'save up' those calories for that big caloric expenditure on the weekend - and you won't feel guilty over it. If you keep within a calorie deficit, you WILL lose weight - simple. How? Basically: LOG YOUR NUTRITION. Write down everything you're eating and drinking.

(There are literally hundreds of apps that do this for you) Make sure you are under your calorie target for the day. Combined with a structured cardio and resistance training plan, you will change your body composition, look and feel amazing! So in a nutshell, if you are on a diet and not getting the results you want, the diet is failing you. Change your approach. We are currently in the process of writing a step-by-step guide to the basics of flexible dieting and the benefits to this approach over "clean eating" If you'd like to be sent a copy, comment below and we will get one over to you as soon as possible. Any questions, drop us a message!