What is a good diet for weight loss? It’s a pretty broad question isn’t it?
Maybe it is a question that can’t be answered easily by anyone else but yourself.
Everybody and everybody is different in regards to where they are at with their goals and where they are on their journey to weight loss.
You may have just started a family (female or male) and haven’t had the time to exercise like you used to. Or you may be a time sparse executive that continues to run on coffee and doughnuts to get them through the long hours, meetings and hitting those deadlines.
There are many different reasons why you have begun a search to find a good diet for weight loss. I’m sure there will be many more reasons to come.
The truth is that you don’t have to have a fancy diet to start your weight loss journey.
You just have to have the will power to change and challenge yourself.
Tiny triumphs everyday add up to big changes over time
Only you have the ultimate power to create and change your habits and daily routines that got you to here in the first place.
Think of it as a lifestyle change initially and you’ll feel better about it.
So what I’m going to do is outline a strategy for you to start your lifestyle change.
Give you some simple changes you can make over the coming days, weeks, months to motivate yourself to start and then continue on your way.
Eating
Eating for weight loss is probably the most important part of your daily routine.
It can be split up into a couple of key areas too.
What you are eating and when you are eating it. Simple huh?
First up is, what you are eating?
Are you looking at what you eat every single day?
Monitoring what goes into your mouth on in regards to food and liquids?
I know it’s an old phrase, but you are what you eat. To bring this into the future you can say, “You are what you Eat and Drink”.
Look at the food you eat over the course of the day, is it nutritious? Is it fresh?
Can you tidy up the types of food and choose healthier options?
Are you looking at the size of the meals you are eating?
Can you replace that sugar filled drink or cream topped coffee with water?
There are so many questions you can ask yourself about your daily diet, the hard part is starting.
After you look at the types of foods you are eating the next thing to look at is the times you are eating.
Are you eating three massive meals throughout the day and then a block of chocolate before sleep?
You might need to look at that.
Or would eating smaller nutritious meals across the day be a better option for satiety and health?
Here is an easy starting point for you, keep a food and drink journal.
In the beginning, write down what you eat and what you drink throughout the day and write the time you have them.
Then you have your diet starting point.
Don’t go replacing every meal with a leaf of lettuce and a cup of green tea because you will feel like crap and go back to your old ways.
Make small changes, swap food and drinks out for healthy choices and keep on monitoring.
The small changes add up over time and before you know it you are on a good diet for weight loss without even knowing it.
You only need a pen, a notebook and the truth to start changing your daily routine.
Oh, and willpower, plenty of willpower!
Exercise
Exercise should be part of the planning you incorporate into your day and also part of your weight loss strategy.
With exercise you have to choose what is appropriate for you.
You can use the same strategy that was mentioned above in eating, make your exercise a lifestyle change.
Not all exercise suits all!
You may have to start by just walking to the letter box for a week and slowly increase the distance.
This is your starting point.
Apologies if you live out in the country and your house is 3 or 4km from your letter box, but you have to start somewhere.
You may want to go to gym and get out of your comfort zone with a Personal Trainer or do some classes.
The choice is yours.
Exercising or gym work should be an integral part of your weekly routine and you will be surprised how well it works when combined with a healthy eating weight loss diet plan.
Just make sure the exercise is within your capabilities if you are just starting and don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help.
Sleep and Rest
Sleep and rest are often forgotten when people start their weight loss diets and exercise.
You will be sore some days if you are going to the gym and you will need to rest.
So make sure you are keeping up with your sleep hours, even though this can be hard if you have a family.
I’m in that boat at the moment and often reminisce about the nights when I used to be able to sleep through and wake up later.
But as you know when you have kids there is no more sleep!
Rest time can be as simple as relaxing somewhere quiet and regathering your thoughts for a half hour.
Listen to your body, if it tells you need rest, it’s probably a good sign that you do.
Mental Focus
You need to work on your mind set daily to keep on track if you are on a diet coupled with exercise.
There will be times when you are relaxing on the couch and the TV food ads will be screaming your name.
Also times when the fridge and pantry will be sobbing mournfully throughout the night for a visit as they have been neglected over the past weeks.
So keep your mind active and motivated. Focus on your goals.
Print out a meme of Gandalf shouting “You Shall Not Pass” and put it on your fridge.
Read about success stories and people that have accomplished already what you are setting out to do.
Learn more about your health, body, nutrition and exercise.
Knowledge is power and if you learn more you are more likely to change your habits and succeed.
Your mental state can change easily if you are changing your lifestyle and dieting.
Be prepared, stay strong and make friends with salad.
I have about 20 minutes in the mornings at the moment around 5.30am before the next part of my day starts.
I use this time to either read or lie on the couch with a cushion and run through what I have to do for the day.
You need to find these times too throughout your day.
So, do you need a good diet for weight loss?
I know you probably found this page because you were looking for a good diet for weight loss right?
There are so many to choose from and try, the list is endless.
I could reel off any number of the best weight loss diets and diet plans but I chose not to.
If you are looking for a magical all-encompassing weight loss diet plan maybe you should just start with analysing what you are doing now.
Ask yourself, “What got me to this point?” when you are looking for answers and looking at change. That’s what I have outlined above.
Create your own path
You can try any of the weight loss diets after you learn and change your daily habits.
You may surprise yourself and create your own weight loss diet and exercise plan that works for you and nobody else.
All of these above tie into one another.
Eating, exercise, sleep, rest, and mental focus all play a part in your weight loss journey.
This doesn’t mean you don’t need help along the way and people telling what to eat and when to eat it.
Just be aware that you can analyse what you do each day and make changes in all of the areas above yourself.
All you need is a pen, paper and the truth. You’ll know if you are on the right track in time.
Then you would’ve created your own good diet for weight loss. That would be more infinitely more rewarding than anything.
Enjoy the journey and learn, good luck!