Can you really lose weight without dieting? Does that sound possible to you?
Let's be honest, this is the most sustainable way to lose and maintain a healthy body weight. And I am not talking about not eating food at all.
Why Dieting isn't the best choice for weight loss?
If you've struggled with being overweight and have tried various diet plans, you’ve probably realized that diets aren't effective in the long run. While diets may promise quick results and indeed help many people lose weight, the real problem appears afterwards: what happens once the diet ends?
Did you know that 80% of people regain their previous body weight after dieting?
This isn't because they did something wrong. The truth is that diets fail to teach how to maintain a new body weight. You finish the last recipe, the last day of your diet plan, and then what? Most likely, you return to old habits that led you to seek change in the first place. It’s a vicious circle.
The Body's natural defence against starvation
Every time you go on a diet, your body prepares to survive. Its biggest fear is starvation: no food = no energy = no life. Throughout human history, food scarcity was a common challenge. Our ancestors had to expend significant energy to find and gather or hunt for food. Consequently, the human body developed a strong defense against hunger.
However, our bodies haven't had sufficient time to evolve mechanisms to handle the abundance of food available today. We're constantly bombarded with temptations like vanilla slices, almond croissants, sausage rolls, and Tim Tams. Resisting these temptations becomes a constant battle, leading to stress and internal conflicts. Instead of enjoying food and celebrating our meals, it becomes a source of stress.
Adjusting diets to fit you and lose weight without dieting
The key here is to...
stop adjusting yourself to the diet, but adjust the diet to yourself.
Find a personalized eating schedule that aligns with your body's requirements, as well as your available time, finances, and energy. Make this schedule supportive of achieving your goals, so you can lose weight without dieting! There's no one-size-fits-all diet plan because we all have unique needs, goals, experiences, and tastes. And believe me, your body is your best nutritionist—an expert in itself. We just need to relearn how to listen to its signals.
Understanding and changing habits
Let's imagine a person, Mari, who weighs around 100kg. Her daily routine includes skipping breakfast, drinking large mochas, grabbing quick lunches, and eating grab-and-go dinners. She wants to lose weight and regain her energy and self-love.
What habits would an 80kg Mari have? Which of her current habits support her weight loss journey and help maintain her new body weight? This is what Mari needs to focus on to achieve her goal and make it long-lasting.
Progress over Perfection
Identifying and changing your habits is crucial if you want to lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight. It’s not just about losing weight but also about maintaining it. This requires changing eating habits that no longer serve you.
It's never too late to make a change. Remember, when you have health, you want many things, but without it, you just want one thing—health. So, let's take small steps together, celebrate our victories, and support each other along the way. It's not about perfection, but progress.
Discover more about healthy eating habits on my social media channels!
XO,
Maggy
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