Find your perfect anti-diet!

Find your perfect anti-diet!

This is the year of the anti-diet, and thank goodness for that! With more and more people realising that crash diets and crazy fads don’t do anything but make you more miserable and larger long-term, thankfully, many are resorting to a healthy and fit lifestyle to keep them in shape and healthy year-round. 

But not everyone realises this just yet. Just take a look at these statistics: 

• 4 per cent pledged to lose weight or eat healthier this year (the top resolution for 2017)^*.
• 72 per cent of the female dieters had never been overweight^*.
• 40 per cent of teenage girls are either on or believe they should be on, a diet^**.
• 97 per cent of dieters are as big or bigger one year after starting a diet^*.
• 44 per cent of the women worry about their weight or body image, and only 7 per cent are concerned about their health^{^}.
• 38 per cent are willing to sacrifice their mental health through extreme dieting if it meant they could achieve their ideal weight^{^}. 

These are some scary numbers! 

Studies are showing that dieting actually makes you larger long-term, messes with your mental health, and contributes to poor body image. 

As many of you already know, eating healthy food and exercising on a daily basis is the best way to stay happy and healthy long-term. But how the heck do we know what ‘healthy’ eating is all about, and how can we enjoy our foods while also maintaining a lean, healthy, fit body? 

There are so many approaches out there, including clean eating, flexible dieting, intuitive eating, and more. Some people find tracking macros works for them, whereas some find it drives them crazy and even contributes to their obsessive habits. 

Your friend may love intuitive eating, another may preach flexible dieting, but the best ‘diet’ for you is the one that is not a diet and is instead a lifestyle ‘choice’ that actually works for you. 

This issue we explore many different ‘diets’ to help you find a way of eating that will work for you long-term. The idea is to feel like you’re not even on a diet at all and just to live and love life, every day. Eating what you enjoy without feeling guilty, shameful, or ‘naughty’ while also remaining fit and healthy is a great goal to focus on. To enjoy healthy foods because they make you feel great and energised rather than to eat them because that’s what you should do or out of sufferance is crucial to your long-term success, health, and overall happiness. 

Modern-day living has really messed with so many people’s relationships with food. It tells us to associate good or bad thoughts with certain foods, and for my girls who compete, it can turn you off chicken breast and broccoli for life! 

It’s important to find a way of eating that works for you. I sure did, and I follow my 7 Rules every day, and I stay happy, healthy and fit, and enjoy all the foods I love. Go out and find your ideal way of eating and be fabulous! 

Food is one of life’s joys, so it’s time everyone started truly enjoying it! 

*Statistics Brain | **Study by Dr Craike | ^Make Your Switch