Why can't I stick to my diet??
Want to know the best diet for weight loss? Spoiler alert: it’s the one you can actually stick to.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when the fitness industry talks about the ‘best’ diets for fat loss. We can get so swept up in the latest trends like keto, intermittent fasting, low carb or low fat, that we forget all about the most important part: adherence.
In the TWS version of the hierarchy of importance for fat loss, adherence is the second most important factor in determining the long-term success of your diet, second to actually being in an energy deficit. While macros, food choices and meal timing do play an important role, they are all pointless unless we are actually adherent.
If you hate the diet you’re on, and it’s so far removed from what you deem ‘normal’, chances are you won’t stick to it. Fat loss takes time, so it’s important that when we embark on a weight loss journey, we set ourselves up for success further down the track by taking a sustainable and enjoyable approach. Doesn’t sound sexy, does it? You know what isn’t sexy? Following a crash diet and restricting yourself for 4 weeks, losing a bunch of weight in a short period of time, returning to eat the way you did before and regaining it all - then getting stuck in the cycle of extreme restriction and overeating which only makes weight loss harder in the long run when you finally realise you should have started with a less aggressive approach.
Here are my best tips for staying adherent:
- Ask yourself, ‘can I see myself doing this 2, 6, or even 12 weeks in the future?’ If the answer is no, then you need to change your plan
- Include a range of foods you love in your diet so you don’t feel restricted - personally I eat chocolate every day
- Do what feels best for you. Don’t buy into the diet industry lies and get caught up in things like supplements, waist trainers, fat burners and skinny teas. It’s a no from me
- Make sure you actually like what you’re eating! Fat loss shouldn’t be a punishment and you shouldn’t feel like you’re suffering
- Spend time planning - make sure you have menu planned, grocery shopped and meal prepped for the week ahead, and then you will be less likely to go off-track when in a rush. Check out my Cook With Soph e-book for some delicious recipe ideas
If you’re struggling with staying adherent, or finding a program that you truly love, let me take care of the hard stuff for you. Come train and eat with me at TWS and learn what it feels like to actually love your diet.
Soph xx