The Anti-Dieting Hack for Getting Results

It’s one of the most popular Google searches when trying to:

• Lose weight

• Fit in clothes differently

• Improve health

• Eat better!

• Feel better!

• Have more energy!

So, what IS the best diet for you?

Should you go keto because your aunt did and lost a ton of weight?

Is the Mediterranean the answer because it feels “healthy”?

Dreaming about that paleo chocolate cake recipe on Pinterest and hey, if you can eat dessert you are in!

Scratch that, fasting is the golden ticket!

With so many diets out there, you probably feel confused and overwhelmed when deciding the best approach to get results.

What you may not realize is all “diets” have one very specific thing in common.

This is the BEST KEPT SECRET the diet Gods don’t want you knowing ’cause it would mean the END of DIETING once and for all.

Here it is:

A CALORIE DEFICIT

This simply means you are burning more calories than you’re eating.

Do you need a diet to create a calorie deficit? Not!

When it comes to getting results, you don’t need a diet.

You don’t need to eliminate every food you enjoy eating, you don’t need to feel hangry and you don’t need to avoid carbs, fats and the kitchen.

As a nutrition coach, I PROMISE you this is the absolutely truth. [still not convinced and on the brink of signing up for the TikTok juice cleanse?]

Today, I am decoding the 7 most popular diets to help you understand:

• How each diets “works”

• The good, the bad and the ugly: what happens to your body in the process

• My anti-diet alternative guaranteed to deliver RESULTS!

Decoding the 7 Most Popular Diets: What You Need to Know

#1: KETO

• The Ketogenic Diet (keto) is a dieting style focusing on an extremely low amount of carbohydrates accompanied by a higher intake of proteins and fats.

• The overall goal is to put your body into a state known as ketosis by severely limiting the number of carbohydrates.

• When your body does not have enough carbohydrates to burn for energy,  it will begin to burn fat and create ketones. Ketones can then be used as fuel for your body.

• What you may not know The keto diet was created as a means for treating epilepsy and seizures. Once weight loss was noted as a side effect, it quickly became a mainstream diet. While there are noted medical benefits to the keto diet, for the general population it can have negative side effects and is extremely difficult to maintain.

• What happens when your body doesn’t get the (smart) carbs it needs? Not all carbs are created equal so we are referring to SMART carbs your body needs for energy, digestion, brain fuel, and heart health. Examples of these carbs include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, starchy tubers -sweet potato and regular- and beans.

  If you are NOT consuming the proper amounts of smart carbs your body needs, negative side effects include: fatigue (especially when working out), bloating due to lack of dietary fiber, poor concentration, hunger, constipation and bad breath. Ew.

#2: WHOLE 30

• The Whole 30 diet focuses on eating whole foods and the elimination of sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, soy, and dairy.

• Only natural foods are consumed which is a great guideline to follow for improved health but, this style of eating can be EXTREMELY restrictive.

• What you may not know: Another con of the Whole 30 is by removing entire food groups, you are in danger of missing out on key nutrients your body needs to properly function and optimize your health.

#3: INTERMITTENT FASTING

• Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. There is no specification on which foods to eat or the quantity that should be eaten.

• The most common cycle consists of a 16-hour fasting period followed by an 8-hour eating window.

• The reason intermittent fasting may work is this: by limiting the number of hours per day you are eating, it is possible you are reducing your calorie intake.

• If you are in a calorie deficit, weight loss is possible. However, if you are consuming the same number of calories that you would in a typical day in just a shorter period of time, weight loss is highly unlikely.

• What you may not know: For some of the population, intermittent fasting can have benefits outside of weight loss. It has been noted that fasting can possibly reduce insulin resistance, reduce inflammation and improve digestion.

#4: PALEO

• The Paleo or “caveman” Diet is often described as being similar to the Whole 30 diet. The goal is to eat only whole foods while eliminating processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, grains, most dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine, and trans fats.

• Unlike the Whole 30 which typically lasts 30 days and then certain foods are re-introduced, the paleo diet is treated as more of a complete lifestyle change.

• What you may not know: While removing some of the above items like processed foods, trans fats and margarine can be beneficial to your health, eliminating nutrient-dense foods like whole grains and legumes can cause vitamin or mineral deficiencies if not monitored closely.

#5: MEDITERRANEAN DIET

• The Mediterranean Diet is a way of eating based on the traditional foods of Greece, Italy and other countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

• Typical foods consumed in the Mediterranean Diet are whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, and nuts. Other foods like olive oil, fish, seafood, dairy, and poultry are enjoyed in moderation.

• What you may not know: It has been noted by numerous studies these regions mentioned having lower occurrences of heart disease and stroke than the U.S. due to their diet.

#6: PLANT BASED

• A plant-based diet consists of just plants and is commonly referred to as vegan if all animal products are removed as well.

• Typical foods consumed on a plant-based diet are fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans.

• Eating an all plant-based diet can be hard to maintain for the long haul.

• There can be advantages to a plant-based diet such as a reduction in blood pressure, improved heart health and a reduction in cholesterol.

• What you may not know: Be on the lookout for “junk food vegan” foods: these are ultra-processed foods marketed towards vegans or plant-based eaters. Just because the label mentions it is a plant-based product, does not necessarily mean it is a nutrient-dense food. These types of products can be detrimental when it comes to reaching your goals if consumed in excess.

#7: JUICE/TEA DETOXES

• Detoxes come in various liquid forms and often involve only consuming said liquid for a designated number of days.

• Though short lived, detoxes are very restrictive and any “change” you see in the scale is mostly limited to water weight since you are constantly going to the bathroom.

• There are ads aplenty on all platforms of social media boasting promises of detoxification and removal of waste (aka poop) that will give you extreme results and weight loss (and in a very short window of time).

• What you may not know: You do NOT need a “detox” juice or tea. Know what does that for you instead? Your liver and kidneys, and they are free. Save yourself the hours and hours you will likely spend in the bathroom and skip the detoxes.

**Note: The above diets may also be medically necessary and at times are prescribed by a physician. As always, follow your doctor’s orders and not an Instagram influencer. Always, always, always speak with your physician before starting any diet.**

Why Diets Don’t Work

As you probably noticed, a few of these diets promise quick results and require you totally overhaul your current nutrition and lifestyle habits. While it may seem tempting, hear me out as to why diets typically don’t work. Let’s first take a look at the dieting cycle.

The dieting cycle typically starts when you discover a new diet you feel is guaranteed to finally work:

1. You start said diet, making drastic changes to your diet and exercise regimen. This may include buying a million different high-priced items you often do not eat or special items such as supplements, teas, detoxes, etc.

2. You likely begin experiencing immediate results and see your scale weight is going down. Booyah – this IS working!

3. After a few weeks, your weight loss stalls, and you being feeling a decrease in energy and stamina. This is especially true if your chosen diet involves severely restricting your calorie and nutrient intake.

4. It is highly possible your new way of eating may severely restrict you and cause you to miss social events due to not finding foods approved on your diet. At this point you begin feeling frustrated due to the lack of progress coupled with cravings and temptations since you cannot eat entire food groups.

5. These feelings are often followed by binge-eatinG or periods of overeating.

6.  Next thing you know, your weight is back up and your progress is now non-existent. Oftentimes, feelings of guilt, shame or failure begin to settle in because you feel you have failed at yet another diet.

7.  On to the next: This diet was a complete failure so you discover another diet that will surely be the one, and the cycle repeats.

The downside of dieting? Looking for the magic pill that will launch us to the body we want.

While some may work temporarily, they are often NOT sustainable.

What does work?

Keep reading to find out the magic pill to get you to where you want to be!

The Anti-Dieting Alternative

So, when it comes to improving our health, reaching our goals and seeing results, what IS the very best, most effective diet?

The magic pill or right diet is the one you can sustain long-term by creating habits that improve your health, fitness and nutrition.

How do you accomplish that?

• My recommendation for improving your health and reaching your goals is creating a healthy, sustainable lifestyle focusing on the habits impacting how you look, feel and live: proper nutrition, quality sleep, regular exercise, stress relief, recovery, and proper hydration.
• Proper nutrition includes eating real, nutrient-dense foods in the quantities for your needs and goals. This ensures you receive the nutrients you need to feel your best, have energy and give your body and vital organs exactly what they require to function. Your caloric intake will matter as well. If you are trying to lose weight/body fat, being in a calorie deficit is necessary. Remember, a calorie deficit simply means you are eating fewer calories than you are burning in a day.
• Diets were designed to create a calorie deficit so you are eating less.

Do you need a diet to create a calorie deficit? Absolutely not!

Also, the size of the calorie deficit matters as well. Eating too few calories can be equally detrimental to your health and progress as eating too many and why working with a coach like us here at Results Fitness can be beneficial. A coach possesses the necessary skills to help you understand the appropriate amount of calories for your specific body composition, needs and goals.

Along with proper nutrition, other factors such as sleep, regular exercise, stress levels, and hydration matter as well. Quality sleep will help regulate your hunger hormones and can reduce cravings and overeating. The same can be said for stress. The more you experience bouts of stress, the more cravings you may experience which can make it very difficult to remain in a calorie deficit each day. As for hydration, many times we feel we are experiencing physical hunger but are simply dehydrated.

If you are looking to make long term, sustainable changes, creating a healthier lifestyle where you understand how to eat for your body and goals will be most beneficial, most realistic and overall, most sustainable while still enjoying the foods you like to eat.

And, you can learn how to do exactly that through our 6-week coaching program, Rise Up! This is NOT a diet, it’s a coaching-based program to finally learn how to create a healthier lifestyle that’s aligned with your health/fitness/nutrition goals while navigating life’s busy demands and without missing out on what you love!