I have a very, very good friend who loves to cook and host dinner parties. Her backyard is my favorite place to kick back, drink wine, eat good food, and hang out. Nowadays it has become increasingly difficult to plan a menu due to everyone’s dietary needs. I am included in this difficulty because I’m vegetarian and have been since I was 17.
But it’s got me thinking...am I supposed to be _______ diet. You can fill in the blank with any of the latest crazes and diets.
What diet should I be on?
I feel comfortable answering this question to the best of my knowledge and research because I’ve been a trainer for over a decade. I have studied nutrition and talked to hundreds of people about dieting.
Your diet is as personal to you as your hairstyle. Some hairstyles work and others don’t. I know many of us wanted Rachel’s haircut in Friends but not all of us have the hair type and time to maintain it.
So before you try your friend’s new diet or go off and buy a bunch of new foods, let's breakdown which diets you should try….
DON’T GO ON A DIET WHERE YOU HATE THE FOOD
I got this from working with my husband. When I first started living with him he ate a lot of fast food and beige food. Beige food includes fries, chicken fingers, bread, pasta, etc. Left on his own he would eat mostly beige food with a side of red (ketchup). When I tried to get him to expand his food palette he would often comment that he doesn’t like kale or beets. We ended up having to write out a list of foods he did like or was willing to try and looking for recipes around those. Slowly over the years his pallet has expanded. His plate now has some beige on it but also includes green, orange, red, and more. If I had tried to force him to eat only the foods he hated I think he would have rebelled.
You eat multiple times a day. If you don’t like what you are eating you’ll find excuses to eat what you want. Start with what you like and build on that.
JUST BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IS TRYING IT DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD
I have a lot of friends that are on low carbohydrate/high protein diets. I like to try as many diets as possible so I know how they feel. While I have a lot of friends who have had great experiences with that diet. They feel energized and strong. When I tried it I felt sluggish. My favorite workout is running. I love to run for hours (I know I’m that crazy person that enjoys running). When I tried that diet my speed during my runs slowed down and felt more exhausted after.
As I mentioned above I’m vegetarian. When I talk dieting with my friends or clients I don’t immediately put them on a plant based diet. I LOVE being vegetarian and feel great on this diet but it’s not for everyone. Some people need meat in their diet for nutritional reasons. I encourage people to eat more plant based foods because it’s healthier but a strict vegetarian or vegan diet is not for everyone.
CHOOSE ONE THAT WORKS WITH YOUR LIFESTYLE
My husband and I work late. Even in quarantine when we are home and don’t have to commute we are often not done with work until 7pm. By the time I cook dinner and we start eating it’s often 8pm. Let’s assume it takes us 30-40 minutes to eat then we are done around 9pm. We recently looked at a diet that required us to stop eating 3 hours before bed. There is a lot of great research and reasons behind that recommendation. It helps with digestion, sleep patterns, weight and more. However, I typically go to bed around 10-11pm so that doesn’t work for us.
Trying to stop eating 3 hours before bed does not work with our current lifestyle. However, it might work for you.
With any change, there are adjustments so if you can easily make the change to have the diet fit your lifestyle then try it! If you think it is going to completely disrupt your lifestyle then another option would probably be better.
Based on those (3) tips here are some healthy, scientifically supported diets you could try…
-Low carb, whole food diet
-Mediterranean diet
-Plant based diet (vegetarian or vegan)
-Intermittent Fasting
-Weight Watchers
***If you have any questions on any of these diets feel free to ask in the comments below. I would be happy to explore them with you and figure out what works best.
The diet you should be on is the one that works best for you and allows you to be energized and happy….that’s the diet you should be on.
XOXO
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