There are all kinds of diets out there, likely hundreds, and all of them are all but guaranteeing the same thing - for you to lose weight.
You have heard all of the slogans, all of the sales pitches, and all of the punch lines to try and get you to buy their diet.
All things being equal when they really are not, here are five signs that your diet is not going to get you to reach your weight loss goals.
1.) They Allow You To Eat Junk Food Occasionally
One thing that everybody forgets is that a diet is really a change of lifestyle. The word in Latin actually means just that. That means that you have to kick the bad habits and replace them with good ones when it comes to the foods you are putting into your mouth. Some would have you believing that it is alright to have that candy bar or that slice of pizza on occasion when in reality that one meal could do much more harm than good. Just one meal can set you back a week or more from all of that hard work you have been doing. These foods are called junk food for a reason. The idea is to find a plan and stick to it as those who deviate from that plan the least reach their goals. It is hard work, but nothing worth having ever comes easy.
2.) They Leave You Feeling Hungry
Another huge problem with some plans is that they do not satisfy your cravings. They might call for you to eat anywhere from 500 to 2000 calories when in reality that is way too low even for a 90-pound woman. The fact is, the more healthy foods you put into your body the more your metabolism is going to have to work to burn it off. Even in an interview with Hugh Jackman for his role as 'Wolverine' he stated that he was eating thousands of calories per day to help him retain his lean mass.
3.) They Have Eliminated A Food Group, But The Wrong One
This one is geared more towards those thinking about taking up a vegan lifestyle. This last week a couple was charged with the death of their 11-month old who was being exclusively fed by her vegan mother. The autopsy cited that the child died from vitmain A and vitmain B12 deficiency, vitamins in ample quantity if meat-based foods. It is actually alright to eliminate food groups from your diet, but meat is not the right one. Some people are lactose intolerant so it is difficult for them to consume dairy, while others have an allergy to gluten, a protein found in grain-based foods. If you are looking to cut a food group out of your diet, start with one of those.
4.) They Have A Blueprint For What You Eat
Some would believe that it is much easier following someone elses plan to every detail, but in all reality it is much more difficult because it does not take into account a change of schedule.
Let us say that you have been scripted to eat every 2-1/2 hours a meal, and that meal is planned for you, exactly what you are going to eat.
What happens if you have to stay late at work one night and you miss a meal?
It is next to impossible to script every waking minute of every day let alone try to get a diet to fit it. Life is unpredictable, so it should stand to reason that your diet should be adaptable. If it does not take into account a late night or an early morning then it might be time to look for another one.
5.) Your Plan Involved Supplements
Anyone who believes that they need to take a supplement of any kind are terribly mistaken. Every single thing that you find in a supplement you can find in whole food, the difference is you know what you are getting from whole food, but you may not get what you pay for with a supplement.
Did you know that there are different grades of supplement?
In fact, there are 'food grade' supplements that only have to have up to 50-percent of what is on the ingredient label inside, and there are 'pharamaceutical grade' supplements that have up to 98-percent of what is on the label in its contents.
That is great! If they have 98-percent accuracy then they are worth taking right?
Wrong.
Even though it has 98-percent accuracy that does not mean that it will be easy to find. Most companies stick to food grade product because it is more cost effective and the general public is none the wiser. There are maybe only a handful of companies out there that make such a product, and if you can find it you will be paying a premium.
It is going to be much easier for you to stick to whole foods. You know what you are getting with a steak or asparagus, but you never know what is going to be inside that little pill. Even if it takes you 1000 more calories per day to consume all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs you will still be better off.
There you have it, five reasons to junk your diet. If your diet fits even one of these then the chances of it working are slim. It may be easy now, but down the line it might not be that easy. If your diet falls into more than one of those categories then toss it in the garbage because it does not stand a chance.
