Getting Started with a Holistic Approach to Dieting
Today I have a post from the lovely Petra of Be Healthy Now. She is here to talk about some holistic ways to approach dieting. I hope you enjoy the post.
I am not a weight loss expert but what I do know is that the extreme diets don’t work. I’ve just seen too many stories online about people who lost an enormous amount of weight by following some drastic regime and then they gained all that weight and even more back.
The problem is that these diets are designed to be followed (and work) only for a limited period of time, until the goal is achieved. After that, the person is left to their own devices and it’s up to them to maintain the weight.
Unfortunately, many people don’t really know how to maintain the weight and how to live healthily to prevent weight gain. Many dieting programmes don’t teach that and that’s why they should be avoided at all cost.
Instead, what I do recommend is to take a holistic approach to dieting and not only look at what you eat but also at your lifestyle and mindset. Addressing only one part of a problem is not going to be enough.
A holistic approach to dieting is a much better way of losing weight than going on extreme diets. Here is how to get started.
1. Your mindset
The mindset is crucial for your success yet not many people realise this. You need to establish why you want to lose weight and be very clear on how that is going to make your life better or what difference it will make.
This gives you initial motivation but you will need the discipline to get there at the end. There are lots of books that will help you work on your mindset so do check them out.
2. Small lifestyle changes
It can be overwhelming to change everything at once so the best is to start with small changes and introduce more changes over time once your habits start to improve.
Here are some examples of small changes that can make a big difference over time:
- Drink more water – Drinking enough water is important for your heart health, kidney health and liver health and plays an important role in weight loss. Drink a big glass of water half an hour before meal times to prevent over-eating and reduce the number of calories you consume.
- Reduce your alcohol consumption – If you really want to lose weight and you are a regular drinker, then you really need to cut down. Alcohol has a lot of calories. One pint of beer, for example, has around 180 calories and to burn it off you would have to run for 13 minutes or cycle for 15 minutes. Is it really worth it? If you cannot totally give up alcohol, at least reduce the amount you drink.
- Replace unhealthy snacks with healthier snacks – Try and replace your sugary snacks with fresh fruits, nuts, hummus and popcorn. These healthier options are more nutrient-dense and will keep you satisfied for longer.
3. Sleep
Getting enough sleep not only keeps your immune system strong but it also helps with weight loss.
When we are sleep deprived out appetite increases due to an increase in hormone ghrelin in our body. Ghrelin is known as “hunger hormone” and the higher levels of this hormone you have, the hungrier you get.
One way of reducing the levels of ghrelin in your body is by getting enough sleep so do make sleep a priority in your life, especially if you want to lose weight.
4. Stress management
Stress has a big impact on weight loss too so it’s really important to learn to manage it effectively.
When your stress levels are high, it will be more difficult for you to lose weight as your metabolism will slow down due to high levels of cortisol, known as the stress hormone. Experiencing stressful situations may also be a cause for overeating.
Try and reduce your stress levels and take time for self-care to help your body lose weight faster. You may want to try adaptogenic herbs to decrease your stress levels naturally.
5. Exercise
There is no doubt that keeping active helps with weight loss but if you haven’t been active in a long time, it’s very difficult to get started. One of the easiest things you can do is to start walking every day.
It doesn’t have to be long, as long as you get started. Start with a 10-minute walk every day and then gradually increase the length of your walk over time.
Progress by walking faster and uphill.
If walking is not your favourite activity, find something that is! What about cycling, jogging, playing tennis, rebounding or swimming?
Find something that you enjoy and you won’t have problems getting yourself motivated to exercise.
So this is how you get started with a holistic approach to dieting. Deal with your mindset first and then start introducing small changes to your life.
Pay attention to your sleep and your stress levels as these factors may unknowingly keep you from losing weight. And don’t forget to be active, this will really speed up your weight loss!
What is your approach to dieting? Do you just focus on food intake or do you take other factors into consideration as well?
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Very interesting, i am always on a diet, put on loads the last couple of years, i put that down to my just being a binger especially late at night, then go to bed full, ive now got a bad back so its hard to exercise and i get stressful with that, so i tend to eat more. but youre right should have healthy snacks instead of cake etc.
A really interesting post. Thank you.
I am a chronic insomniac so am now wondering if that is why I am almost always hungry.
I often substitute a meal either for one piece of watery fruit or freshly juiced vegetables. It helps a little.
Interesting.
Some good information here.
Currently I am following a calorie controlled diet using MFP (My Fitness Pal) and ensuring that I get plenty of exercise a day – a least 10,000 steps. I find that this is working for me but am always open to new ideas!
Ive always been looking at my food intake but the holistic approach looks brilliant xx
A thought-provoking post, this. I’ve finally stumbled upon the best way for me to lose and maintain weight, without dieting – and that’s my daily home workout. 30 minutes per day first thing in the morning, and I’m now 2 lbs off my goal weight. Super chuffed – and no dieting!
My mindset is what holds me back when I come to losing weight. Instead of thinking about it as a long game, I want results instantly (which is never going to happen). I get bored and disheartened and fall back into unhealthy ways
I would love to give this a try, I really struggle with my weight.
My mummy is awful with maintaining weight and diets, plenty of sleep is super important for helping keep weight off and exercise x
i have never been one for diets, they are to short term, i think you need to change your view on certain foods that you can carry with you throughout your life
I strongly believe dieting doesn’t help. If you eat right, then you’ll notice results.
I’ve done lots of crash diets throughout the years. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that they weren’t successful or long-lasting. A holistic approach sounds like the best route for long-term life changes.