A lot of diets require you to restrict and starve yourself, and many don’t achieve permanent weight loss. Many turn out to be a temporary fix, and don’t provide a solution of weight control at all, which means that more often than not you regain, and even gain extra weight and you blame yourself for doing so. Food becomes your worst enemy, instead of something that nourishes you and that you can enjoy. You don’t need to change yourself, just your diet plan and your frame of mind.
Approaching a diet with the right mindset is vital. Many women diet because they have a bad body-image, which is often exacerbated by society’s impossible ideal of what women should look like. You might feel that just because you’re not stick-thin skinny, that you won’t be successful or desired in life – which is not true or helpful at all. This pressure on you to conform to an unreachable body type means that you will be only frustrated, and not successful, when it comes to your weight loss.
Obviously, being overweight isn’t good for your body, but having low self-esteem isn’t good for your mental wellbeing. You need to approach weight loss from the angle of your mind, as well as your body. Start by clearing your mind of any negativity you feel towards your body or your weight. This may require talking to a friend or specialist, but you can’t work on yourself until you love yourself, and don’t let the media or society dictate the person you’re going to be. You’re a one-in-a-lifetime unique being and there will never be another you, so surely you should be the best you that you can be, and set the goals that you want to set.
Then, when your mind and emotions are in place, you can move on to tackling unhealthy stubborn fat. Belly fat is the most dangerous to your health, as it can lead to type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as heart disease and stroke, so beating belly fat is a good place to start. However, fad diets that promise fast results should be avoided at all costs – the results, if there at all, will be short lived and you’ll only deprive yourself of what you need and increase your chances at failure. Change your diet, don’t cut it down completely. Find your road to success through foods that are naturally low in bad fats and calories and rich in nutrients. The best sources are whole natural foods that include fresh and organic vegetables, fruit, pulses, whole-grains, lean white meats and oily fish, and now you have the tools you need for a better body and mind.