Finding the Right Diet Plan for You

Written by Ellen Diana, Psychologist

An important part of living a healthy lifestyle is finding a nutritious eating plan you can live with. There are many diets to explore and your goal is to find the right one for you. To be successful in living a healthy lifestyle, focus on finding a diet which allows you to eat a variety of healthy foods that you enjoy. Avoid diets where you are required to eat foods which you do not enjoy. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is not meant to be a punishment, filled with deprivation and shaming experiences. When you live a healthy lifestyle you feel energized and motivated to pursue your life goals and interests. You nurture your best self, which leads to happiness in your life.

 

Some suggestions to achieve this are:

·         Check out the library and local bookstores because the shelves are filled with books on diet plans. Some popular ones are the Paleo diet, Atkins diet, Bellyfat diet, South Beach diet, Blood Type diet, NutriSystem, Jenny Craig, Raw Food Detox Diet, Weight Watchers, TLC, Mediterranean diet, Mayo Clinic, HCG diet, and the Fat Flush plan. There are many others.

·         Find the diet that is right for you because all of these diets can help you lose weight, or stay at a comfortable weight. The degree of difficulty associated with using each one of them, however, is different, depending on you.

·         Do you prefer points or plans? For example, Weight Watchers allows a broad range of foods, because each food is assigned a point. Counting points determines how much you’ll eat each day. Other diets are quite scripted and rigid.  Some even have pre-made food you can buy to take the guesswork out of deciding what to eat. Decide which works best for you.

·         Choices or not? Do you work best when you know exactly what you should be eating, how much, and when, or do you like choices? Find a diet plan which fits for you.

·         There’s something to value in every diet so avoid taking an all-or-none stance on each diet you review. Start a notebook of the tips and ideas you’d like to keep from each diet.

·         Find the best fit for you personally. A diet that worked for your friend may not work for you. If you don’t like the diet plan, you won’t follow it.

·         Avoid food boredom by finding a diet plan with enough meal options so that you have sufficient variety in your meals. The diet you select should have several weeks’ worth of menus that you find appealing.

·         A good diet includes treats using healthy alternatives like cocoa, carob, or sugar substitutes. For more ideas Google recipes using the diet plan you select.

Pick the diet that feels the simplest, most enjoyable, and most energizing to you. Select the one that makes you feel excited when you read about it and makes you think “I can do this!” That’s the diet to pick.

 

Ellen Diana is a psychologist, author of the Lucky Dreamer Tip Series, and co-author of the Charge up Your Life series of self-help books. She has 30 years’ experience working with children, adults, couples, and families in schools and in private practice in Scottsdale, Arizona. Helping women to evolve into their best selves through personal growth and self-awareness is a passion of hers. Ellen raised three successful children as a single parent and so has special interests in mentoring other women in transition and helping parents to raise resilient children. Contact Ellen at drdiana@ellendiana.com or through her website www.ellendiana.com