The most common excuses for not dieting!
We regularly find ourselves falling into the trap to make various excuses for not following a healthier lifestyle. Which are the most common excuses we use?
The following tips will prevent you from quitting your diet and help you adopt a healthier lifestyle!
“No diet plan suits me. I’m tired of trying …”
Avoid the fad diets that lead to transient effects! Instead, aim for, more achievable goals and targets, and incorporate the “healthy eating” pattern to your lifestyle. Don’t be strict on yourself, slipping of the program at times, does not mean that you have failed. There will be good days and there will be days that need improvement. Just make sure you get back on track by staying committed to your goal.
By adopting a healthy behavior your eating preferences will gradually change. Over time you’ll notice that some “unhealthy” foods will become less “desirable” and unconsciously you’ll go for healthier choices.
“Diet food is tasteless.”
To follow a healthy diet plan does not require buying special “diet foods”. The key to a healthy diet is the correct distribution of servings. Keep enjoying your favourite foods, but always in moderation. At the same time various spices such as oregano, garlic, paprika and thyme can add a special flavor to your food and prevent the use of additional fat and salt. Experiment with different methods of cooking such as grilling and steaming instead of frying.
“Healthy food is more expensive!”
The secret to a healthier and more cost-effective solution is simple…Imagination and creativity! Use a particular ingredient in order to prepare various meals. For example, a relatively expensive fruit such as fresh pineapple can be eaten at breakfast with oatmeal and yogurt, at lunch in a curry and as an afternoon snack in a fruit salad.
“I do not know how to cook. . . “
Cooking is an art! This means that you don’t need to follow recipes 100% in order to create something delicious. Combine some recipes that you like and experiment using your favorite ingredients. However, if you still don’t manage to cook there are loads of healthy choices in rotisseries and restaurants that you can choose from.
“Holidays are coming”, “I’m starting the plan on. . . Monday”
Do not wait for the perfect time to make changes in your life, because that time will never come! There will never be a perfect time because you will always have to attend “that” party or you will be passing through a “difficult period”. Anxiety for the future is what stops many people from making positive changes in their lives.
“I do not have the time to prepare different meals for me and the rest of the family.”
This does not need to happen, because what you eat should not necessarily be very different from the rest of the family members. For example, if in some cases the rest of the family choose to eat fast-food such as fried chicken you can have a small portion of it and accompany it with a salad or you can have a grilled chicken wrap instead.
Eleana Liasidou
Clinical Dietitian- Nutritionist, MSc