TIPS TO DEVELOP THE RIGHT DIET PLAN Diet changes and adopting a regular fitness regimen are some of the most common New Year resolutions globally. Unfortunately, only a handful of them is followed a few weeks after the New Year kicks in. Determined to devise a diet plan and stick to it religiously? Here’s how you can go about it. The market is flooded with different types of diets suggested by fitness gurus, dieticians and more from all over the world. Simply put, there's a wide range of options to choose from, which makes zeroing on a diet plan that’s apt for you an uphill task. Let’s find out what type of diet will work for you, and why.
Clarify your goal Anything done without setting a goal will always lead to utter failure or less than desired outcomes. What targets do you intend to achieve with your new diet plan? It could be weight loss for some. For
others, it could be a change in body composition. Before evaluating your diet, think about the goals critical to you, and keep them in mind while making food choices. You may discover that while you are not losing weight on the scale, you have lost inches off your waist and gained a few pounds on your lifts. After all, muscle weighs more than fat so the scale can still be climbing even as your body-fat percentage shrinks.
Avoid diets that don’t work Diets that overly restrict your calories, or eliminate entire sets of macronutrients and food groups can hinder and ultimately sabotage your long-term fitness goals. The same is true for plans that don't allow you to eat a variety of foods, leaving you with unfulfilled cravings and consumed by unwanted hunger.
Go for diets that work Any diet that you can adhere to for an extended period will give you results, and keep you focused and engaged. Enough calories and variety make it easier to stick to any diet. If your current meal plan doesn't provide you with both, modify it or find a new one.
As a general rule, focus less on diets that are trending, and more on how your food makes you feel. Just because everyone is trying a particular diet doesn't make it right for you. Eat foods that you like, which give you energy, and doesn’t leave you in a constant state of hunger. While finding what works for you, you'll be making some good choices and some not-so-good ones. Somewhere in the middle, you'll discover what works for you.
Is there a perfect ‘diet’?
As people have different fitness goals and body types, saying that there exists a perfect diet for every individual would be incorrect. The diet that works is the one that's sustainable and gives results. Moving the body more, cutting back on unhealthy foods, making small changes, and staying consistent are the keys to successful eating.
Ask yourself the following questions before you bring changes in your diet plan and then feel the difference.
Is your diet goal specific and can be measured?
Does the diet allow you to eat the food you like?
Does the diet give you energy and make you feel good?
Can you stick with it for years to come?
Do you see the desired results?
Do you have a good relationship with food?
If your answer to most of these questions is ‘no’, it's time to revisit your goals. Add food options that you like, or are healthy and low in calories to your diet to achieve your long-term fitness goals.