Diets take two forms. One is your daily diet, the foods you’ve eaten for the day, and the other is “a diet,” a reduced-calorie or changed-composition daily regime used expressly for losing weight. This second type of diet is a finite plan that is usually restrictive enough to be hard to do long-term.
To make weight-loss dieting easier to do, you have to shift that “on a diet” mentality to one of “a good diet that works for you.”
You also have to take a very good look at what food means to you.
It is possible for some people to stumble upon a mode of weight-loss dieting that really resonates with them. Then it is easier for them to make that their long-term dietary pattern with some modifications once they reach their goal weight.
But what works for one person may not work for another. For example, low-carb diets, including keto, can work very well for people whose bodies function better with a more protein-heavy diet. Some people simply don’t react well to carbs, and the diets that reduce carbs substantially, therefore, really help them.
Other people find that restricting certain types of foods does not work and merely leads to bingeing and obsessive thoughts of food, but that they do well with more structured eating times. They may thrive on eating plans where they eat three meals a day at specific times, or they may do very well with one of the many intermittent-fasting (or “time-restricted eating”) plans available. These plans allow your body to have a break from digesting constantly, and give it and your cells a chance to use up stored glucose, for example.
When you follow diets that make you feel better and you don’t feel deprived, you’ll have a better chance of turning that into your regular daily pattern of eating. If it’s a diet that you can imagine following for years, you may have found a good one.
Diets — What is food to you?
It’s also essential to look at why and when you eat certain foods and how much you eat. It’s figuring out what combination of food you should eat for health and food you like to eat because it tastes good that will help you maintain a diet that works for you.
If you’re about to embark on a weight-loss diet, take a second look at what you plan to do. In addition to preparing healthier foods, you might want to arrange for delivery of prepared meals that let you eat healthy without having to put too much thought into counting calories or getting a good mix of nutrients.