There are many different reasons that someone might want to go on a diet. Some do it for weight gain and overall health improvement. Others are happy with the knowledge that they are doing something good for their body. Sometimes, a diet can make you feel more organized and attentive about the way you eat. This can give a feeling of overall control and organization in your life. When starting a particular diet, it is important to consider some things that could make or break the experience. It is discouraging for someone to start a diet only to return back to their regular style of eating because of external circumstances.
That is why, before you commit yourself to a particular diet, make sure you have a few things checked off to make sure that this diet is really for you.
Things to Consider When Picking a Diet
There are some critical points to consider when beginning your diet. When you have these points clear in your head, you will have a better idea of just what diet you can begin and follow through with it in the long run.
1. Does the diet fit my budget?
Different types of diets have different expenses. For example, a diet that is based mostly or solely on fruits and vegetables might be more expensive than others because you will need to consume more food to get your necessary daily calories. This means spending more money on raw material for food. Before starting a diet, consider the money that you will need on a daily basis to make it on this diet and not feel pressured for money. The last thing you want to be doing for your health is stressing over underestimated details like this.
Have in mind that some diets require more expenditures than simply purchasing the food. Some diets will require money for the transportation of certain food items, support services that will keep you on track, materials to read, and even exercise classes that come along with the diet. Keep in mind how much time the preparation of your food will take and how this will affect your budget as well.
You might want to go along without a particular diet plan or support services. However, they are very helpful in keeping you on track and do an invaluable service for the money that you may give to them. People who are on a program are more likely to keep up with their diets and make it with their health and body goals.
2. Do I have any health contraindications to a certain diet?
Not all diets are good for all. There are certain health conditions that may prevent you from starting a particular diet. Health conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, for example, may require specific diet types. Before considering any type of diet, consult with your healthcare provider to rule out any health issues and to test the microbiome levels. Microbiome tests show the proportions and type of bacteria that live in your gut and how certain diets may affect that. Because most of our immunity and nutrition is dependent on the microbiome levels, it is important to check them out and be aware of how they may be affected by different diets. If you have a certain condition that you are aware of, choose a diet that is good for your condition. In fact, a diet can be a great way to manage and even begin treating the disease.
3. Do my schedule and free time allow for a certain diet?
The most common reason for diets falling off the trail is the fact that many diets require more time for food preparation and pre-planning than the standard diet. Organizational habits come in really handy when it comes to managing your time with food preparation and orchestrating the whole meal plan in between your work and other activities.
Many people stop their diets because they are tempted to eat something from the fast food section when they have no options outside and had no time to prepare something at home ahead of time. Be realistic with your time and schedule. How busy are you? What amount of time can you cut out of your day for grocery shopping and preparation of food? If your budget allows what your schedule does not, you can even consider enrolling in a diet program that has prepared food delivery included.
4. How much support do I have?
The social factor should be taken into account when choosing a diet. Most people, with the exception of some self-driven individuals, are social creatures and rely on social support. If you are doing a diet and the people around you are not on the same page and do not support what you are doing, it may be a challenge for you to keep going with your chosen path for a long time.
If you do not have anyone in your household or close vicinity with whom you can take this similar path, you can always look at your local gym, community center, or even a hospital for groups or organized meetings for people who have similar health goals and follow a special diet. The support of those people will help you make it through moments when you might be tempted to quit on your diet.
If you do not have anyone around you that you can look for support from, you can always find people online as well as a health program that offers support through a common social platform.
5. What did I learn from my past diet experiences?
If you have had unsuccessful or partially successful attempts at a diet before, make a list of the reasons why each one of them failed. What was it about those diets that was too hard for you to execute? If the reason for the diet fail was the spread out of the meals throughout the diet, consider a meal plan that gives you plenty of times to eat during the day at the expense of the type of foods you eat. If the reason why your diet failed was because you had no support, this time considers a diet plan that you would have access to a person or group who can support you. Just learn from your past failures to make this new diet work out.
Consider Yourself When Beginning
When choosing the right diet, consider your own body and life in the first place. Even though someone might make claims about a diet that turned out great for them, it might not be YOUR diet. Focus on your own conditions before taking up a diet so you know that you will be able to follow through with it and be happy along the way.