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If I had a £1 for everyone that had told me they’ve tried every diet under the sun but STILL put on weight then I’d have at least, hmmmm, £150. Not quite enough to retire but enough to focus the mind and realise that there is a real problem, namely a lack of correct information.
Truth be told, there are all manner of diets out there that CAN work: the 5/2 diet, Atkins diet, the low-fat diet, juice diet or even the Grapefruit diet. But just because they can work doesn’t make them healthy or sustainable for long-term results (more about that on a later blog post).
These diets can all work for exactly the same reason. Shocking, hey? It’s not something magical about ‘superfoods’ or insulin control, it comes down to plain and simple maths. Calories consumed are fewer than calories used. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.
Let’s use the popular Atkins diet as an example. This encourages carbohydrate exclusion. People therefore assume that controlling carbohydrates magically drops fat. What really happens is by cutting out a major food group (and carbs in particular are very easy to over-eat) you create that calorie restriction, leading to fat loss. If forced to eat a kilogram of cheese every day while you followed the Atkins diet, you would still put on weight despite following the prescribed guidelines. This is again because you would throw the energy balance back to the calories intake being greater than the expenditure.
Therefore, diet success is down to avoiding over-eating, not magic. This leads me to the perfect diet I promised you. This is one that has a long-term calorie deficit which fits into your lifestyle. It includes foods you like to eat and doesn’t demonise or eliminate any one kind of food. It is considered in relation to your movement and activity level and helps support your needs on a physical and psychological level. By following these guidelines, you are giving yourself the maximum chance to succeed long-term.
If you are interested, let me know by commenting or sharing and I’ll write a follow-up where I start to teach you how to structure a successful diet.
If you are looking to kick-start your fitness regime please drop me a line via the contact page and book a free consultation. It may be the best thing you do for yourself all year!
Speak soon, Sam