Why your diet isn't working!

Everyone at some point has tried a diet. Maybe one of the following:

·      Low carb/high fat

·      High fat/low carb

·      Paleo

·      Ketogenic

·      Weightwatchers

·      Cambridge

·      Shake based

·      Grapefruit

·      South beach

·      Lemon and honey

·      Raw food

·      Mediterranean

You may lose fat on these diets initially, you may drop dress sizes, you may start to see the body you have been yearning for, but my questions are:

·      How long can you keep it up?

·      How restricted do you feel?

·      Are you removing yourself from social situations to reduce the chance of breaking your diet?

·      How are your energy levels?

·      Are you fantasising over food a little too often?

·      Genuinely, are you happy?

This is why extreme diets are not the answer. We live in a world so obsessed with gaining instant, drastic results in everything we do; we want everything NOW. This attitude will do you no favours when it comes to structuring a healthy eating regime in line with achieving your specific health and fitness goals.

So what is the answer?

I’m going to highlight my TOP 6 TIPS to revamping your nutrition, helping you look feel great and look awesome.

1.     EAT REAL FOOD
You cannot beat the quality of real food. Period. The health supplement industry is rife with brands making outlandish claims, which often don’t measure up in reality. Supplements may have their place dependant on your goals but they are certainly not the answer or the difference between success and failure when it comes to optimal nutrition. Basing the majority of your diet on single ingredient foods that have once walked, swam or grown will provide a very strong base for a successful nutritional regime.

2.     CHEATING
There is always going to be something traditionally unhealthy you will have a soft spot for, and basically if you have a bad relationship with this weakness, you’re going to come unstuck. Knowing when is the time to satisfy these cravings and whens the time to fight them is crucial, hence the birth of cheat days/meals. Try to make an occasion of the times your going to ‘cheat’. It might be going out for pizza with friends, or Friday night in with your other half where the Ben & Jerrys comes out. The point is, try to make an association between those traditionally naughty foods and social events that don’t happen every other day. That will help to encourage healthy balance. What most people do is begin a daily habit of eating junk in private e.g. the tin of various chocolate bars hidden in the kitchen that gets dipped into every evening when you chill out and watch TV after work. This brings me nicely onto my next point…

3.     GRADUAL HABIT CHANGE 
Instead of trying to change your life over night, take one small thing you could improve. Improve it. Stick to it. Master it until it requires no effort. Then move onto the next. With my clients I often start with the beginning of the day working on smart breakfast choices and getting hydrated, then work through the rest of the day from there. Yes it may take longer to get results but making these gradual habit changes is the key to not only getting you where you want to get to, but also keeping you there and even excelling beyond.

4.     BE CREATIVE
Modern life means junk food is never more than a phone call, the click of a button or a few strides from a corner shop away. Many of us allow our sheer laziness to stop us going to the effort of taking time to try new recipes or shop for foods with a short shelf life. Commit to trying one new recipe a week, using real foods and you’ll surprise yourself at what you can do!

5.     YOU MUST EXERCISE 
Okay, you can lose body fat through dieting, no doubt about it. But if that’s all you do then don’t expect there to be a tort, sculpted physique underneath those fatty layers unless you have put in the effort to actually stimulate the muscle into action. This is where you can end up with the dreaded ‘skinny-fat’ physique. You don’t have to train like an animal 7days a week, but if you want to maximise your results and not look like a wet plastic bag it’s time to start lifting something!

6.     MACROS
If you want to take things to the next level and get really savvy, it’s time to think about tracking your macros. This just means tracking your protein, carbohydrate, fat and overall calorie intake. A nutritional tracking app like MyfitnessPal will make this super easy. If you want to remove all uncertainty and be in the hands of an expert, look into an Online Trainer who provides this kind of service; they will often be very cost effective compared to a 1-2-1 Personal Trainer but have many of the same benefits such as expert knowledge and accountability. Check out Tom Mac on the Brisbournefit team page if this is something you’re considering.

So there you have it. Six vital points if you’re serious about maximising all things nutrition related to achieve the physique and health your aspiring towards!

If you want to take some of the guess work and stress out of optimising your nutrition, go to the Brisbournefit "THE TEAM" page and contact Tom Mac who i cannot recommend enough. Tom will work closely with you to ensure you are executing a well structured plan with purpose, catered to your own individual physique goals and health aspirations.