2240: Never Diet Again by Lea Genders of LeaGendersFitness on Healthy Living Principles

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_01]: This is Optimal Relationships Daily, Episode 2240, Never Diet Again by LeaGenders of LeaGendersFitness.com

[00:00:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Hello everybody and welcome back to ORD. I'm your host Greg Audino, and this time we've got one of

[00:00:16] [SPEAKER_01]: our weekly bonus episodes ready for you. Each Sunday, in addition to our regularly scheduled episodes,

[00:00:22] [SPEAKER_01]: we also air one that actually shares previously aired audio from another show on our network.

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_01]: This way you get a sense of all the different types of content and shows we offer here at OLD.

[00:00:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Now today, we'll be featuring Optimal Health Daily, so with that let's turn it over to Dr. Neal

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_01]: for the post and his commentary as we optimize your life. Never Diet Again by LeaGenders of

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_00]: LeaGendersFitness.com If being on a diet sounds like a version of

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_00]: HELL, then maybe time to rethink how we diet. It's the thought of dieting for the rest

[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_00]: of our lives that makes some people give up altogether. To some people, dieting means giving

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_00]: up all the foods they love and only eating foods they dislike or barely tolerate. What kind of life

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_00]: is that? Have you ever heard the quote, find a job you enjoy doing and you will never have to

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_00]: work a day in your life? I think of diets the same way. Find a healthy way of eating that you

[00:01:22] [SPEAKER_00]: love and you'll never diet again. There are a lot of diets circulating the popular culture.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_00]: When someone asks me if they think a particular diet will work, I always say,

[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_00]: yes if you do it forever. The problem with diets is that they end and when the diets are over

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_00]: any lost weight comes back on plus more sometimes. It's not the diet, it's the

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_00]: dieter's consistency with it. Going on and off diets is what gets us into trouble.

[00:01:50] [SPEAKER_00]: If your diet plan is overly restrictive, it may be harder to stick to it. If your diet has some

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_00]: leniency, it may be more sustainable for long term success. However, if it's too lenient,

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_00]: you could sabotage your results. If it includes healthy foods that you enjoy,

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_00]: you'll probably want to continue with it. The key is to find the right balance

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_00]: for your lifestyle. Generally speaking, any diet that restricts calories enough to put

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER_00]: you in a caloric deficit, meaning you consume fewer calories than you use in a day,

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_00]: will likely cause weight loss. So if you like the idea of eating low carb,

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_00]: that can be an effective way to restrict calories. If you eat hamburgers without the bun,

[00:02:32] [SPEAKER_00]: tacos with lettuce wraps instead of shells and spiral vegetables instead of pasta,

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00]: you will cut calories from your diet. A lot of processed foods are high in carbs,

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_00]: so if you avoid carbs, you may be avoiding some processed foods.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_00]: If you are cutting a moderate number of calories combined with regular movement

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_00]: and structured exercise, well now we have the recipe for a successful diet.

[00:02:55] [SPEAKER_00]: However, if you love fruits, potatoes, oatmeal and rice, and couldn't imagine a life without them,

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_00]: there's no reason to avoid carbs if it doesn't fit your lifestyle, goals or preferences.

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_00]: If you exercise for performance, you probably will find that healthy whole food carbs give

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_00]: you more energy to perform better in the gym or at your sport. It's a personal choice. Some people

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_00]: find they respond positively to lower carbs, and others to higher carbs. There are individual

[00:03:24] [SPEAKER_00]: variances to our bodies, and it's up to us to figure out what works best for us long term.

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER_00]: There isn't one magic diet that makes every person lose weight or feel great.

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_00]: It's mostly about the calories and quality of foods consumed. It's all about finding a

[00:03:40] [SPEAKER_00]: healthy, yet sustainable way of eating that you enjoy. While I don't follow any particular diet,

[00:03:46] [SPEAKER_00]: I try to live by the guidelines that I'll mention soon to keep me on track.

[00:03:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, I sometimes fail. I'm not a robot, but when I mess up, I move on from it as soon

[00:03:57] [SPEAKER_00]: as possible. In my life, I look, feel and perform at my best when I stay on track with

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_00]: these principles. It's not a diet. It's how I live my life, and I can sustain it long

[00:04:09] [SPEAKER_00]: term because I enjoy the foods I eat on a regular basis, and they allow me the flexibility I need to

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_00]: enjoy occasional indulgences. I eat mostly whole foods derived from nature from a variety of sources.

[00:04:23] [SPEAKER_00]: I also try to avoid processed foods most of the time. I avoid sodas and drinks with added sugar

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_00]: nearly all of the time. I allow room for guilt-free occasional treats and indulgences

[00:04:35] [SPEAKER_00]: when it enhances the experience with family and friends. And I limit alcohol. No matter what

[00:04:41] [SPEAKER_00]: diet you choose to follow, or no diet at all, if it is in line with the previously mentioned principles,

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_00]: you'll likely find success. The key is to discover the healthy foods that you enjoy eating.

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_00]: I often make healthier versions of the junk foods I love so that I can have the best of

[00:04:57] [SPEAKER_00]: both worlds. For example, instead of ordering pizza delivery, I'll make a pizza at home

[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_00]: using healthier ingredients. It doesn't feel like a struggle to eat healthy to me because I enjoy the

[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_00]: foods that I eat every day. And when there is an occasion to enjoy a piece of cake, German chocolate

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_00]: please, or glass or two, of wine, I know I can celebrate without guilt. It's what I do most

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_00]: of the time that matters, not what I occasionally do. It's a diet-free life. You just listen

[00:05:31] [SPEAKER_00]: to the post titled, Never Die It Again by Leah Genders of leagendersfitness.com.

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Dr. Neal here for my commentary. For years, scientists have been trying to figure out

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_00]: which magical eating pattern is the go-to for weight loss, meaning when a person tells their

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_00]: doctor or dietitian, I want to lose weight, well how should the health professional respond?

[00:05:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Because right now, the advice is basically, as Leah said in today's article, cut your calories

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_00]: and move more. But people want more specifics, like how much of what should I be eating?

[00:06:07] [SPEAKER_00]: What specific diet do you recommend? Can I eat nutritious foods and still actually like them?

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_00]: The answer to those questions definitely differ depending on who you ask. Some health professionals

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_00]: might say that you should follow a low carbohydrate high protein diet. Others might

[00:06:23] [SPEAKER_00]: say it's better to try mindful eating. Others might say go for the Mediterranean type diet.

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_00]: And you know what? They're all correct. How is it possible that all of these answers would be

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_00]: correct? Well as Leah so eloquently put it, every diet works, so long as you follow it forever.

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_00]: And sure enough, when we look at published studies, here's what we find. Those that are

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_00]: able to follow a mostly nutritious balanced diet that suits their lifestyle will have more

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_00]: success maintaining their body weight. So there you have it, that's the trick. That's the secret.

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Now more studies might reveal new insights, but for now these are what the data are telling us.

[00:07:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Now it is the day before Thanksgiving in the US so hearing about all of this healthy

[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_00]: eating might not be the most exciting thing to listen to the day before we're about to eat

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_00]: the largest meal of the year. So I'll repeat something else that Leah said in today's

[00:07:21] [SPEAKER_00]: article. When there's an occasion to celebrate, I know I can celebrate without guilt. That's because

[00:07:28] [SPEAKER_00]: it's what I do most of the time that matters. So it's okay to enjoy tomorrow's festivities,

[00:07:34] [SPEAKER_00]: but maybe just don't make a habit out of it. Alright that'll do it for another edition of

[00:07:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much for listening and I'll be back here tomorrow for

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_00]: our Thanksgiving episode. So I'll see you there where your optimal life awaits.