Stop Yo-Yo Dieting Today

As a certified health coach, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and most importantly human being, I can relate to the difficulty of weight gain. Life is life, always throwing us "curve balls" around our wellness. But if there is one thing I can tell you, it's that diets do not work. Why? For many reasons:

1. The focus tends to be scale-driven.

2. Dieting can lead to the elimination of certain foods and/or food groups.

3. Can increase the likelihood of skipping meals.

4. Can create unhealthy relationships with food and/or exercise.

5. May lead to over-eating or binge-eating due to limiting foods, food groups, and/or calories.

6. Inability to maintain habits long-term.

7. Weight re-gain.

To support you on your journey toward positive and healthy nutritional changes, here are empowering ways to avoid dieting, achieve your goals, and embrace a balanced, vibrant lifestyle:

1. Know your why! Write down your goals, short-term (daily/weekly) and long-term goals (monthly).

2. Gain perspective! It's essential to gain insight and perspective on current habits before setting behavioral changes and next steps.

3. Start positively: Focus on making positive goals. Reducing foods, food groups, or portions does not always translate into eating healthier. Instead, focus on foods to increase, such as fruits and vegetables.

4. Start simple: Focus on the foundations of nutrition first: Fruits, vegetables, protein, healthy carbohydrates, and dairy.

5. Keep a food log to establish and build skills to support your goals.

6. Keep practicing and be patient. Building healthy habits takes time. The journey has its ups and downs,but keep practicing. The challenges or "downs" are a reminder of your why! You got this.

7. Grow from barriers and challenges. Plan for challenges, since your journey will not go as planned. When we set goals and make healthy changes, we as humans expect perfection. There is no such thing as perfection. It is essential to recognize this as you start your wellness journey. All or none tendencies are primary reasons people quit goals.

8. Partner with a certified health coach to elevate your wellness journey. A health coach provides consistent support, accountability, and expert guidance to help you stay focused and motivated as you pursue your goals. Think of them as a trusted ally—like having a team of professionals in your corner, dedicated to helping you thrive in every area of life.