FOUR HABITS TO QUIT RIGHT NOW
It’s easy to set goals, but if we’re not taking action on these goals, they simply remain a dream. Even when we are taking action towards, there could be a few habits we don’t realize are holding us back.
Jumping on the latest diet bandwagon.
Diet culture has an astonishing way of making you feel like this new diet is the thing to finally get you that bikini bod you’ve been working towards. Don’t let their high price marketing fool you. Take a deep look at what they’re really selling you, does it make sense, is it something you can (sanely) sustain for a long period of time?
If your plan cuts major food groups, severely restricts calories or replaces whole foods with shakes, it may be a cause for question.
Looking for the next quick fix.
We all know the saying: ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably too good to be true.’ If losing weight were easy, odds are we wouldn’t have the obesity epidemic America is currently in.
Just like the ‘next greatest diet’, quick fixes are notorious for being restrictive and strict. Often they can lead to a slowed metabolism, disordered eating patterns and weight gain post-diet. A safe weight loss program should have you on track to losing no more than 1-2 pounds per week, more than that should raise a red flag.
Making excuses.
We all want results and we want them by putting in the least amount of work. Excuses can be easy to come by. “My alarm didn’t go off” “I’ll just go to the gym for two hours tomorrow instead of tonight” “what’s one more donut realllllly.” No matter what the excuse, they don’t get us closer to our goals.
There’s a difference between when our body truly needs a rest day and continuing to enable our inner sloth. Holding yourself accountable means putting aside the excuses to keep you moving towards your goals.
Diet foods.
Low fat, reduced fat, calorie free, no added sugar, all natural, it seems there’s a new claim coming out daily. While not always true, a good rule of thumb is, if they have to convince you their food is healthy, there’s probably something to question.
To make an item reduced fat they usually will have added sugar or salt to replace the flavor lost when the fat was taken out. To make a ‘no added sugar’ claim, you can likely find one or two artificial sweeteners in the ingredient list to give you that sweet taste. Don’t be fooled by good marketing, when in doubt, go with the food that doesn’t need a label!
While there can be a lot of mixed messaging and misdirection out there in the food world, don’t get caught up in the next hot trend. In the end, the best diet for you is one that you can sustain for the long term, makes you feel energized and helps you to your goals.