THIS YEAR, DITCH THE DIET

     Happy New Year! If you're like most people, you probably spent the weekend reviewing and reflecting on the past year’s events and engaged in some form of strategic planning for the upcoming year. The popular word for this sort of transformative action is "resolution" which is a word which implies "a firm decision to do or not do something." This sort of rigid approach to change allows for no fluidity or flexibility. When we make declarations and commitments like “never” or “forever,” we are more likely to fall short of our goals and expectations. This leaves no room for balance and flexibility.
     What I am trying to say is resolutions do not work because more often than not, they include making changes to behaviour and objects that exist outside of us. Until we change what’s on the inside, we cannot change what’s on the outside. Eventually, we will go back to making the same choices, whether consciously or unconsciously. When we lovingly embrace and accept ourselves, focus our attention on what we want instead of what we don’t want, and set fluid intentions for the New Year, we are more likely to naturally flow toward choices that are aligned with our goals and achieve our desired results. 

My favourite path to creating real and lasting change in my life includes 8 steps:

8 Steps To Create Real and Lasting Change

1. Love and accept yourself.

2. Practice self-awareness 

3. Change old, negative beliefs into new, empowering beliefs.

4. Focus on what you want, not what you don’t want. 

5. Practice gratitude.

6. Set realistic, achievable goals and take actionable steps.

7. Never say never.

8. Meditate and visualize.

     If you're one of the many people who want to lose some weight this year, the same principles apply. The typical scenario goes something like this: you hear about this wonderful diet that will guarantee weight-loss, so you try it, only to gain even more weight back once you’ve lost it. Don't worry, you are not alone. Just because a diet works for one person, does not mean that it will work for you.  

Here are the top 5 reasons that diets are doomed to fail:

1. People choose to use a diet to achieve a short-term goal. That goal is usually to lose weight before an upcoming event. Diets are perceived from the onset as a temporary action used to obtain an immediate result. Once that result is achieved, the diet is stopped and old eating habits return. 

2.  The yo-yo diet or weight cycling. As mentioned, many people go on diets, lose weight, and then gain weight, often more than they lost. And, for some reason, the cycle is repeated. To quote Albert Einstein:  “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” This repeated failure can have negative effects on a person’s mental health and could result in an eating disorder.

3.  Many diets are based on the premise of counting calories using a formula meant for the general population as opposed to the individual. Everybody processes calories differently. This formula supports that caloric expenditure exceeds caloric intake and will therefore promote weight loss. It has become clear that this premise is no longer true. Every calorie is not created equal. Calories consumed from spinach or sweet potatoes are much more nutrient-dense than calories consumed from a processed, low-fat muffin. In addition, if you were to consume too few calories, your body goes into survival mode, slowing down the metabolism. You run the risk of your metabolism remaining sluggish once you start consuming more calories.

4.  Before even starting a diet, people believe that they will be depriving themselves of foods they love. Entering into a program with this mindset clearly does not support success. This constant experience of deprivation will bring on food cravings that will be difficult to ignore.  If you're trying to give up the things you love and enjoy, you're just punishing yourself. Why give up entirely the things you enjoy and bring you pleasure if it’s not harmful to yourself or others? Moderation and flexibility is key.

5. This brings me to the last reason why diets do not work. They do not address food cravings and how to handle them. Everyone has cravings. Having the tools to help navigate through those cravings and reach for healthy food alternatives will help to eliminate them.

    

     Unfortunately for many individuals, diets only offer a quick fix to a larger problem.  Weight loss isn’t just about the food on our plate or the hours we log at the gym. It’s about creating a well-rounded life that is feeding and nourishing us in a number of ways. My job, my PASSION, is helping you create that kind of holistic life, where you are addressing all the various influences that are affecting your health and weight.

If you’re sick of the dieting roller coaster…

If you’re sick of meal plans that don’t work…

If you’re fed up with the cardboard low-cal frozen dinners…

I’ve got a solution for you.

I’m talking long-term, sustainable weight loss.

This is not something you will find in a book or on the back of a Lean Cuisine box. This is a revolutionary way of living and eating that will change your life and rock your world.

Are you ready for it?

REVITALIZE 2016 - 28 Days of Yoga & Real Foods is a 4-week course you can do online or live (if you live in Nova Scotia) that will help you lose weight, feel great, and look amazing. 

You will:

• Learn to eat the foods that are right for you and your unique body

• Learn how to plan meals, even if you are busy and have no time

• Put yourself first (and not feel guilty about it. Whoa!)

• Practice Kundalini & Hatha Yoga to strengthen commitment, de-stress, strengthen and tone

• Find exercise that fits your unique body and lifestyle

• Take the exact steps, week by week, that will help you achieve long-lasting results

• Give you daily assignments over a 28-day period that will empower you to make lifelong changes

And so much more!

     If you’re ready to ditch the diet and finally lose weight (FOR GOOD!), join me for this life-changing program.

     Wishing you much success for a happy, healthy, and prosperous transformation in the New Year!