The anti-diet approach to health and weight loss

The ANTI-Diet

A different approach to health and weight loss

By Kelly Nicholson

Certified Personal Trainer and PN Nutrition Coach

Each year new diet fads, magic pills and fancy fitness devices are marketed to millions of people looking for the solution to their weight and body issues. These products promise “quick results”, “better booties” and “smaller waistlines” but in reality, the health and fitness industry are failing us. Serious health conditions have continued to rise even though we have more resources, technology, and medications than ever before.

So, what are you supposed to do? It can be overwhelming to decide what diet can be most beneficial to your goals. How can you finally stop starting a new diet, losing some weight, just to “fall off the wagon” and gain it all back? How can you finally feel comfortable in your clothes again? Confident when you look in the mirror? Have natural energy and less belly bloat and digestive issues??

I’d like to suggest something that seems almost too simple to be effective. But I assure you, it’s these small, seemingly insignificant changes that will create the results you seek. I call it... The AntiDiet. As you can probably guess from the name, the goal is to stop following arbitrary rules, drinking strange, expensive detoxes and killing yourself on the treadmill to try and reach your goals.

Here are the 6 main components of The Anti-Diet:

Set specific and realistic goals for yourself. Do your goals reflect your values and what is actually important to you? Or do they feel more like something you “should” be trying to attain like the size you were in high school or the diet that worked so well for your best friend’s cousin’s girlfriend? Vague goals that don’t really matter to you will sabotage your efforts - every, single, time.

For example, which sounds more motivating to you:

“I want to lose weight”. OR

“I want to lose 25 pounds by July 1st so that I can easily get down on floor to play Legos with my son. Because he won’t be little for long and I want his childhood memories to include a mom who played with him.”

Now which sounds more motivating to you? The second one, right? Remember: Vague goals sabotage your efforts, but specific goals will fuel your efforts.

Drop everything you think you know about food and fitness rules. You have a lifetime of learning and conditioning to undo. For example, were you ever told to clear your plate, eat low carb, avoid fats or just burn more calories than you consume? The problem with most diets and fitness routines is that they are too restrictive to stick to long term, they inevitably lead to failure and shame and keep you stuck in a self-destructive cycle.

Tune into your natural instincts. Ever notice how you were born knowing when you were hungry and full? A newborn doesn’t have to be told when it is time to eat or when they have had too many calories, they self-regulate, they eat intuitively. Over time you unlearn this behavior. You can re-learn your natural hunger and fullness cues by eating slowly, eliminating distractions and stop eating when you are about 80% full. This takes practice but it will save you hundreds of unneeded calories at each meal.

Balance your food groups. To keep your energy levels naturally high, blood sugars stable, cravings under control, digestive system regular and make sure you all get the nutrients you need… make sure to get at least one serving of protein for each serving of healthy fat, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables (the more variety and color the better!).

Keep it SIMPLE. Just like most diets are too restrictive, they are also too advanced for the everyday person and don’t fit into a realistic life. Choose healthy changes- one at a time - that seem almost too easy to do. Start playing the long game, take at least 1 week to focus on your new healthy habit then add in the next easy habit and watch the habits build and best of all stick, since you will be less likely to get overwhelmed and quit.

Move in a way that you enjoy. Exercise shouldn’t be

I help my busy clients restore energy and confidence, achieve a healthy weight, and feel amazing through simple and sustainable fitness, nutrition and mind set habits. — Kelly Nicholson

Find your motivation. Tune into your instincts. Balance. Move in a way that you enjoy.

a torturous way to punish your body. It should be an enjoyable part of a larger health care routine. Unless you are an athlete, fitness model, or Olympic weight lifter — a simple routine that includes exercise activities you enjoy (and will actually do), make you feel energized and give you plenty of time to recover, will be most effective.

As you can see, these are not earth-shattering concepts. These are changes that can fit into a busy lifestyle and as they start to compound, they add up to big changes over time. Once you adopt the antidiet approach to health — you will find that weight gain was never the problem… it was the symptom. If you only focus on weight loss you will never get to the root cause which means you will always be fighting the same battle with little results or long-term success.

It is time we simplify health and fitness. It is time to create a health routine that fits into YOUR life for the long term and you will start to lose the unwanted weight and have more energy and vitality.

Kelly Nicholson, Certified Personal Trainer and PN Nutrition Coach

She can be reached at: Phone: 775-304-9552 Email: Legacywellnessmama@gmail. com Facebook @ KellyNicholson InstaGram @ Kelly_Nicholson_Wellness