The Wrong Diet for You

Hi

“What’s the best diet?” will likely go down in history as the most common question posed to trainers throughout history. Getting rid of belly fat or flabby arms would likely be the second and third most common questions, in case you were wondering…..

So… What’s the best diet? There is no one size fits all diet. It’s going to depend on you, your lifestyle, and your goals.

Take a look at your local bookstore and you will see shelves and shelves of diet and nutrition books. Many of them claim to have the super, only available from me, magic secret to fat loss. How can they be all right? Could they all be wrong (for YOU)?

Any diet that severely restricts calories, regardless of how they’re cut back, can generate results in the short run. Stop eating and you’ll lose weight. You’ll lose lean muscle mass AND body fat. That’s not what most people want to do in the long run.

What’s your goal? That will dictate a certain calorie structure and macro nutrient ratio. Wanting to gain lean muscle or improve endurance based activities will be different than body fat loss. Eat for what you want to do.

What do you like to eat? Any diet that requires you to eat things you don’t like will not be sustainable in the long run. Diets that eliminate entire categories of foods ( ie. starchy carbs, sugars, fats, etc…) will not be healthy or sustainable for most people. The only caveat here is if you have physician diagnosed allergies or you are avoiding certain foods for religious purposes. Eating should not be a reward or a punishment. It’s something you need to do.

What’s your lifestyle like? Any diet that requires significant prep work or dedication will be difficult if you have an extremely active lifestyle. If you are limited as to when you can stop and eat, a diet that requires 5-6 meals a day may be difficult. Anything that is an extreme burden is unlikely to stick.

What about your personality? Are you highly detail oriented? A meal plan that require tracking may work well. Do you hate writing EVERYTHING down? Taking photos or some other simplified meal planning would work better.

Where does that leave us?

There is no ‘best’ diet, but there will be the ‘right’ diet for you and your goals. Want to be successful with your next (and hopefully last) diet?

– Does it fit your goals?
– Does it fit your likes/dislikes and food preferences? It should not be a reward or punishment.
– Does it fit your lifestyle and personality?

Are you ready to give it a shot?
Ask yourself the questions above. Get started.
Give the plan at least two weeks before deciding to make a change.

Have a great week!

If you’d like to talk about your diet or discuss your health and fitness goals, shoot me an email at 1ericwylie@gmail.com or give me a call at 253-988-9483.