Written by Jim McNerney Coaching Team
Dieting and weight loss are difficult subjects, and the internet is full of conflicting information that can lead many people astray. If you’re looking for things that will enhance your diet and help you lose weight, it’s essential to separate myth from fact and stick with proven effective methods.
Four Things That Definitely DO NOT Work
You have probably seen questionable advice online or people
reporting amazing weight loss results with unconventional methods, but it’s
vital to fully investigate these claims and the consequences they may have on
your health before trying them yourself.
The following four things definitely do not work for weight loss:
1. Long-term calorie restriction diets. While you may need to stick to a diet for several months to a year or more to see the results you want, you shouldn’t need to remain on the same diet for ten years. Roughly 85% of diets fail within a year. If a strategy continues to fail after more than a few years, it’s probably time to try something new.
2. Resigning yourself to a fate of poor health. Too many people try a few dieting and weight loss techniques, do not see the results they want, and simply give up.
3. Unrealistic interpretations of one’s own body. Some people think they’re overweight when they’re really not, and it can be difficult for some people to reconcile what they think they should look like and what a healthy size actually looks like.
4. Artificial sweeteners. Whether you realize it or not, sugar is addictive, and giving up sugar during your diet can be extremely difficult. Artificial sweeteners are not an acceptable replacement, however. Many artificial sweeteners used in “diet” versions of popular food products are harmful in many ways, including throwing your metabolism off and complicating weight loss even further. It’s best to avoid artificial foods in general while dieting.
Avoiding or quashing these four things may be difficult but doing so can be essential to reaching your weight loss goals.
Things That DO Work
Losing weight does not require you to starve yourself or work out to exhaustion every day. Four of the most often overlooked techniques that can benefit any weight loss plan include:
1. Eating well. Eating less is not always the healthy option. In most cases, the best weight loss results are possible by simply changing what you eat instead of simply reducing portion sizes.
2. Love and emotional support. Weight loss can be challenging, but a close support network of loved ones and friends to show you encouragement and love are invaluable.
3. Spiritual upliftment. Find what inspires you to be the person you want to become, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Focus on this and use it as a guiding star during your weight loss journey.
4. Keep jealous thoughts at bay. It’s easy to take cheap shots at others to make yourself feel better, but this ultimately erodes who you are as a person and contributes nothing of value to your weight loss journey. Instead of putting down others to make yourself feel better, try uplifting others and building mutually encouraging friendships.
No matter how far you need to go on your weight loss journey, these four things will help keep you focused on your goals and guide you toward a healthier lifestyle, inside and out.
