During my recent morning Q&A session, which I hold every other Saturday at 9:30 AM, a few questions from the audience popped up, questions that may seem simple to answer, yet they are in everyone’s mind. That reason motivated me to write this post.
What is a really good diet? Are diets effective for everyone? If it works for my friend, why is it not working for me? Is there a fast way to lose weight?
For some people the word “diet” is a four letter word, a stigmatized word, and perhaps it should be, because for some people following a “diet” is a big commitment, it means sacrifice, hunger strikes, depriving ourselves of our most simple and secretive food pleasures.
It can also signify proof of resilience, reaching the ultimate desired goal: Personal aesthetics, getting ready for the summer, losing a few pounds, making us look good, the saying: “feel good to look good” applies here. Possibly that is the right intention. To feel good and look good!! or is it to BE healthy and look good?
I would like to bring the fact that there are a few classifications of diets, but for now I would like to concentrate on these two: The aesthetic diet and the therapeutic diet.
The aesthetic diet covers most of the goals mentioned before. The therapeutic diet is the one that people actually need to follow in order to better their health life conditions, for reasons such as to heal their gut or help their metabolism to function better or offset some types of autoimmune diseases. Preventive measures are also included in this group.
Some examples can be when a person with pre-diabetes has to restrict carbohydrates, or when a diebetic needs to follow a controlled carb diet and increase proteins.
A person with a gluten intolerance or allergy, must follow a gluten free diet, otherwise, they risk hurting their gut to no repair, and the same goes for those with IBS, where a low FODMAP diet can be very, very beneficial, as they also risk damaging their intestinal walls.
Even someone who may have issues maintaining a healthy weight, can try to embark on an intermittent diet to lose the unwanted pounds, or a high protein and fat plus complex carbs to gain it.
My point is that for those who need to eat as a way of therapy, the appropriate diet is something that is needed, it is a must do and this needs to be guided by a nutrition professional.
For those who do it with the intention of looking good, “diet” is a popular term. The thought comes up on occasions such as: Sessions in front of a mirror or on January 1st, or right around our birthdays, especially if it is after milestone number 30.
This resolution sometimes lasts about 2 weeks, sometimes 3 months and if we are alpha oriented, it can be a lifetime change. Only a few are “real alphas”.
Most aesthetic “diets” are not sustainable, they cannot be kept for long periods of time.
Why?
Time, you can not rush changes. When pursuing change within a strict time frame, applying a rigorous discipline in a race against the clock and our basic instincts, we set ourselves up for failure. Because in our minds once this time frame expires, we go back to eating and drinking wherever we can as much as we can. Freedom!
In my opinion these types of “diets” create a huge amount of anxiety, they overwhelm us. After an exhausting and stressing day at work, that is exactly what we need, right? To restrict ourselves, and limit our consumption of comfort foods.
I always say that changes take time and it is a slow process.
Do you know that the average adult takes at least 120 days to change a behavior or a habit? That is the equivalent of 4 months! Four months is the time we need in order to adjust to a new job, or a new school or a new roommate. For children this takes about 30 to 40 days, they know what is up! They know how to adapt.
This is when I like to change the narrative because I don’t like the term “diet”. I like to refer to them as gradual lifestyle changes, whether they are needed for aesthetic or therapeutic purposes.
Sometimes diets may not be successful because they are not the right one for us, just because a friend, or a friend of a friend tried it and it worked for them, does not mean it will work for me. Their biological body is different from mine, my lifestyle is different from theirs, my body reacts differently than the latest recipient of the “most beautiful” person award of the year. We are not all built the same, metabolically speaking.
My idea of a lifestyle change is one of gradual changes, the one change at a time creed, with sensible one, two, or max three changes implemented in a month. The ones where you can lose 1 pound a week in a healthy way. I guarantee you that these types of changes will stick around for longer than 2 weeks or 3 months, these changes will be life time changes.
I usually tell my clients that as long as they get right back on the beam when they fall off, everything will be fine. With just a little effort, you can make healthy lifestyle changes gradually, these changes need to be adjusted to each one’s lifestyle and metabolism, one specifically designed for you! One size does not fit all, you are unique in your own way, your body and mind belongs to you and nothing worthwhile is gained overnight.
Now, do you want to look good to feel good for a bit, or do you want to be healthy to feel good for a lifetime?
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need help or have any questions.
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Your Chef, Dietitian and Health Coach
Mario Landaverde, RDN
