Published on October 31, 2020
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
When you go on a diet—or, shall I say, when you decide to change your diet—permanent weight loss should be the ultimate goal. You want to reach your ideal, healthy weight and maintain it for the long term. Towards that end, the quality of patience is an important factor. Without it, you will find yourself making decisions that lead to short-term results and long-term disappointment.
It is always the case that a lack of patience leads to shortsighted dieting decisions. One of the reasons that people go on extremely restrictive diets is the need to see instant results. The problem with that approach is that it almost always results in feelings of deprivation, pushing you to resume your old eating habits. In many cases, a diet that is extremely low in calories will provide little nutrition. This often leads to fatigue, nausea, headaches, and other conditions, causing sub-par health.
Patience is a form of action.
A dieting approach that leads to permanent weight loss is a moderate one, where you apply patience and take the time to think and plan. Taking time to think through the various elements of a sound weight loss plan is essential for long-term success. Creating a diet plan that consists of well-balanced meals with adequate nutrition requires learning and understanding the basics of nutrition. When you take the time to learn about the various foods that offer the best energy and nutrition, you gain knowledge that you can apply to your life on a daily basis. The learning process takes patience and commitment.
One reason that some dieters go on yo yo diets is that they find it easier to resist high calorie foods and snacks if they eliminate them completely from their diet. In this case, there are no decisions for you to make at each meal, and no negotiations with yourself about how much you will eat of your favorite foods. In one sense it makes things easier. However, it’s not a realistic long-term approach. You can’t go through life vowing to permanently avoid your favorite foods.
Dieting and establishing new eating patterns will present some ups and downs. It takes patience to endure these challenges. You might have days of going off your diet and having to be patient with yourself for not being as disciplined as you want to be. However, the acts of trying, forgiving yourself for any dieting failures and pressing on to do better the next day are important for establishing healthy patterns and achieving permanent weight loss.
Slimcerely yours℠,
