You might think that this is a crazy statement coming from a group of personal trainers.  The fact is; it’s true!  Diets Don’t Work!  And this is why…

Have you ever tried out a new diet with the intention of losing those few extra kilos and found it next to impossible to stick to?  You’ve become too busy with the kids…. work has become unbearable…everyone suddenly seems to have a birthday or event planned or the thought of going without your favourite treat seems completely unbearable.  Then, when you have not been able to stick to the strict regime, you’ve punished yourself by eating more? (The thoughts are generally…”I screwed it up…. I’m fat, so if I eat this packet of chips/block of chocolate, it won’t matter anyway.”)  Are we right?

So, why is it so hard to stick to a diet when it seems that everyone else has had fantastic results and you haven’t?  The photos on the website or commercial showed dramatic results in a short period of time…why can’t you get those results?

The fact is, at the end of the day, you are never going to get great fat loss results from any diet unless you change the way that you think and feel about food as well as exercise.  If every time that something goes wrong, or you are unable to stick to the diet, you self sabotage then your chances of success are severely limited.  You are setting yourself up to fail before you have even started.

How do you get past this?

This is something that we have encountered with many of our personal training clients over the years. We have learned through experience how to coach people through this and start to re-shape their feelings about food, exercise and their bodies…

Here are some simple tips that we have used with our clients which might help you change your mindset:

Keep a gratitude journal

This is something that will help you to see all the great things about you and help you to focus on the now.  Everyday write down something that was good about the day.  This can be as simple as you managed to eat well, you resisted that chocolate cake, it was a beautiful sunny day or you had a great time playing with your kids.  This is an excellent way for you to continue to focus on the positive things and change those self-sabotaging thoughts that seem to sneak up on you when you least expect it.

Write down all the pros and cons

Make a list of all the good things about your negative eating habits and all the bad things.  Then make a comparison.  Whilst for that moment, the taste of that food might feel good at the time, it is not until afterwards that you might realise the consequences of your actions.  Making a list is a great way to remind you of how you will feel afterwards when the ‘dust has settled’.  Stick this list on the fridge…the pantry door, wherever you need reminding.

Don’t Diet!

Focus on healthy eating and make a lifestyle change.  Work on taking small steps at a time.  You wouldn’t expect yourself to be able to jump from the first step of a seven-story building to the top step…why would you expect yourself to do that with an eating and exercise regime?  Take one step at a time. 

Be prepared to mess things up.

If you are prepared to mess things up, then you won’t be so disappointed when it happens.  The fact is, we are all human and even people with the kind of body that you admire have days when they eat all the wrong foods.  What do they do when this happens?  They forget about it and get themselves back on track the second they can.  No overeating to punish themselves.  No self-berating. 

Emotional Eating

Now, obviously if you are an emotional eater, there are many different reasons why you might reach for that unhealthy snack for comfort, (and it might be worth seeking the help of a professional and some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for this one) but the next time that you feel yourself getting down or turning to food to console yourself.  Stop! Think about it.  Look at your list of pros and cons then take the dog for a walk.  Get out of the house and go to a park.  Get away from food in general. 

The point is…do something other than eat.  If you eat at a certain time of night, start doing something more constructive, like taking up a hobby or exercise.

If losing body fat was as simple as following the latest diet plan published in a magazine…. then personal trainers would be non-existent.  The simple truth is, there is no ‘miracle’ diet or exercise plan that will help you until you are truly ready to address the issues that got you there in the first place.  A good personal trainer will help you to see these issues and can help coach you through the tough times and refer you on when it is beyond their expertise.  No magazine diet or latest fad piece of equipment can help you out with that.

Every client we have trained who has applied some of these techniques has LOVED the newfound person they have become.  Ironically the new person was always inside, just under the surface, waiting for the right opportunity to shine.  You can too! J