Itz Holistically Wholesome

Are you someone who is stuck on dieting? Have you been dieting to lose weight and or become healthier? Are you that person who diets just for a particular season or event? Do you spend money buying and trying various weight loss products and fad diets to lose weight? If you find yourself caught up with dieting, know that you are not alone. Many people around the world have found themselves in a similar position. And the frustrating part is that while many will get a quick result, it is often for a short while before they end up right where they started. I remember when I let myself go and thought I could eat however and whatever I wanted. I was not exercising and hardly walked anywhere except my office to my car, parked right outside. I thought that it was okay as long as I could indulge and restrict myself from food for a while. I was good at this, and while this helped me keep the weight off or lose what I had gained, I was in no way closer to being the healthy and active person I wanted to be. However, as I grew older and gained more wisdom, I found out that to be in the best health overall, I needed to make a complete lifestyle change; that was the day my journey into the lifestyle I now enjoy.

Some people are confused by both terms so let me explain the difference between the two. A Diet is a quick fad or temporary change to your eating habit to achieve a specific outcome which is most commonly related to weight loss before going back to old habits. On the other hand, a lifestyle change involves a consistent and permanent effort to change one’s practices to promote long-term weight loss and good health.

To further put it, a diet is more concerned with weight loss which is often quick. It offers a temporary solution or brief fad and requires little or no change at all. In other words, you get to keep your unhealthful habits and practices and get the result that you want. On the other hand, when one embarks upon a lifestyle, the results are much slower, and instead of focusing on just weight loss, you must make changes in all aspects of your life. Therefore, an overall change in habits is pertinent to reach your goal of losing weight, keeping it off, and being healthy.

It is vital for you to understand the difference between the two, then ask yourself which one of these goals you desire. For example, do you want quick results, or do you want permanent results?

I choose a lifestyle, and yes, it is a day-to-day process of eliminating, incorporating, and replacing one bad habit with a better one but believe me, it is worth every effort. Of course, there will be rough days along the way, and you may even slip up, but you keep going no matter what.

If you are still not convinced that adopting a lifestyle is the best way forward, here are five reasons to ditch dieting for lifestyle:

1. It teaches Self-control – As you ease into this way of life and begin to be more mindful of how and what you should eat, you gradually learn to exercise self-control. Meaning that you will know just how much you need to eat at any one time to keep you full and nourish you at the same time. After being on this journey for a while, I estimated just how many calories I had eaten because my body became accustomed to a specific pattern. Most of all, you will develop the will to resist things you do not want to eat and find suitable replacements.
2. It Boost Self Esteem – Once you fall into a rhythm and begin to lose weight, your confidence level begins to be soar. However, you slowly start to feel more confident in what you are doing, how you look, and what you wear. Your patience will grow as well as you realize that this method works and get closer to your goal each day. Not only that, but you begin to feel happier with yourself.
3. Eradicates illness /health condition – A healthy lifestyle will help you to control, prevent or overcome certain health issues such as hypertension, diabetes and many others. I used to have serious issues with my sinus which disappeared after embarking upon this journey. I also know countless others who were afflicted by various health issues and are now free.
4. Promote exercise – Unlike a fad diet that tells you that you do not need to exercise, physical activity is an essential aspect of lifestyle. It encourages you to be active because exercise is an absolute necessity; it builds stronger bones and muscles and prevents future health issues such as osteoporosis and arthritis. It also helps with weight management.
5. Weight Loss– Once you embark on a healthier lifestyle, you will lose weight, and most importantly, you will keep it off permanently. It is essential to know that it takes time to lose weight healthfully. It is okay to feel anxious sometimes and even desire faster results as long as you do not allow this to deter you or push you to seek a quicker and simpler way with short-lived effects. Every ounce or pound you drop will give you the push that you need to keep going. And if you are not careful, you will begin to act as you are feeling that is like you have one a million bucks, haha, and you have every right to feel this way because you have stuck with the program and the results that you are seeing is from hard work and consistent effort. Not only are you dropping the extra pound, but you are becoming a healthier you. So go ahead and flaunt it!!

Your decision to adopt a healthier lifestyle is the step in the right direction. You have already cross one hurdle by finding the will to do. It is easy to compare yourself to the next person and even desire the same result they have gotten within similar time frame. Focus on you; every one is different and what works for the other person may not work for you and that is okay because you will find what you need to be who you desire to be. So stay on the grind.

Your decision to adopt a healthier lifestyle is a step in the right direction. You have already crossed one hurdle by finding the will to do. It is easy to compare yourself to the next person and even desire the same result within a similar time frame. Focus on you; everyone is different, and what works for the other person may not work for you, and that is okay because you will find what you need to be who you desire to be. So stay on the grind.