No-Guilt Dieting Strategies

Written by Jenna Moore, Performance Dietitian

3 Nutrition Plans that are Better and More Effective than Diets

If you are one of the 45 million Americans who have decided to go on a diet this year(1), allow me to ease your anxiety and angst by telling you now – You don’t have to go on a diet to see weight loss results!!! As someone who used to be obese, believe me when I say that I have tried every diet in the book. And now, as a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist, not only do I have years of experience with losing over 50 pounds myself, but I also have mastered weight loss counseling with many clients in my years of experience as a weight loss expert.

With this in mind, the very best piece of advice I can give you for weight loss is that you need to find a plan that aligns with what you know to be true and right for YOURSELF. The minute you start doubting a diet because “I can’t eat carbs but I like carbs” or “I can’t eat meat, but I love steak” is the moment this diet is sure to fail you…and often times this thought comes up before you even start the diet in the first place!! No wonder it doesn’t take very long until you “cheat”. Our human minds are very simple to understand – we will attract to the very thing that we are restricting! So, if you tell yourself every morning “I am not going to eat that pastry for breakfast” or “I am not going to eat those fries for lunch.” Guess what your mind is attracting to… That pastry and those fries!!

Believe me when I tell you there is a better way to lose weight. I know, it seems cliché. But in order to endure a weight loss plan long enough to lose all of the weight that you want to (AND keep it off in the long term) means that we have to be clever with our mind and body to make them truly believe that is really going to work this time! We have to outsmart the years of survival mechanisms that our bodies have programmed within them to resist weight loss of any time, for the purpose of not starving. We don’t ever want to starve our bodies, but our bodies literally cannot recognize the difference between “I want to look good in this swimsuit” and “I am wasting away into nothing!”

I have done years of research on the topic of weight loss, and specifically fat loss. I have gathered information that most uneducated “health influencers” really cannot understand due to their lack of schooling and accredited continuing education. I have taken this information and summarized it here for you! So without further ado, here are 3 no-guilt dieting strategies that work BEST when it comes to effective weight loss.

1. Fasting

Ever wonder why you “have” to remove certain foods from your diet to lose weight? Well, let me tell you that whoever said that was telling you a LIE! You most certainly do NOT have to remove foods from your diet to lose weight! All you have to do is reduce the amount of calories that you consume overall. Many so-called “nutritionists” will tell you to just reduce the size of each and every meal that you eat…but how do you actually do that? Are you going to track everything that you eat every day for the next 6 months just to create a slight tweak in every single meal? That sounds exhausting!! Research shows that fasting is just as effective as this (2), but it’s WAY less work!!! In my experience, most people can track their food flawlessly for 3-7 days and then they’re burnt out. You don’t have to do this to yourself!!

By waiting until you are physically hungry in the day,

you allow your body to be better able to tap into its own fat stores for energy. For some, this means waiting an hour longer than when you would normally eat, but for others this can mean waiting until 1:00 pm in the afternoon for your first meal. Fasting has many health benefits in addition to weight loss. In human cancers, including cancers that involve the brain, fasting ameliorates chemotherapy-related adverse effects and may protect normal cells from chemotherapy (3). Because this is so variable, it is always best to talk with a dietitian before starting any type of fasting protocol. At Inc Nutrition, our dietitians accept insurance and most Americans qualify for their first 3 nutrition sessions 100% covered under their health insurance plan!!

2. Macro Cycling and Calorie Cycling

One of the biggest mistakes that Americans make when dieting actually comes after they create a calorie deficit. People are actually really good at lowering their calories! But the problem arises when people lower their calories so much that they put themselves into something called “starvation mode”. Starvation mode occurs when a person cuts down on their calories too much and the body’s metabolism shuts down. Our metabolism is the thing that is supposed to burn fat! So if it is running too slowly because you are not giving it enough and/or the right kinds of energy, weight loss will not happen easily. What most people don’t realize is that if they deplete themselves of fuel in one way or another, they must also replenish if they want to see long-lasting and big weight loss results. In my nutrition program Nourish I walk you through how to deplete and replenish your body so that you continue to see the scale numbers going down so that you never hit a plateau and break your diet plan because you are discouraged!

3. Performance Nutrition paired with Physical Movement

Diet and exercise. Yes, these two go hand in hand together!! Did you know that carbs are actually the IDEAL fuel for exercise? If you’re a person that loves your bread, pasta and rice – we say “keep enjoying them!!” And if weight loss is the goal, timing your carbs around your workouts can actually make working out less painful while allowing your body to burn fat in a way that keeps your metabolism running strong! Did you know that we have personal trainers who can help you work out in the convenience of your own home? They are also likely covered by your health insurance!!

When the average personal trainer charges over $75 per HOUR, why in the world wouldn’t you take advantage of this benefit?!?

Summary

Well there you have it. 3 No-guilt dieting strategies that work for successful weight loss. If you still have questions or would like to book an appointment with one of our weight loss experts, click the link below!

Resources

1. https://www.livestrong.com/article/13764583-diet-statistics/

2. Rynders C., Thomas E., Zaman A., Pan X., Catenacci V., Melanson E. Effectiveness of Intermittent Fasting and Time-Restricted Feeding Compared to Continuous Energy Restriction for Weight Loss.Nutrients.2019;11(2442):1-23.

3. Phillips M. Fasting as a Therapy in Neurological Disease.Nutrients. 2019;11(2501):1-24.