Diet- A Bad Four-Letter Word According to Fitness Expert Phil Thow

Everyone knows all about the various ‘diets’ that are out there in the world. It seems that just about anyone can make a diet out of any food group. What they don’t tell you is that a diet is only a temporary solution to health and weight loss. If you want to live a truly healthy lifestyle, you need to adopt healthy eating habits, and leave the diets in the dust. Fad diets are especially bad for people, because they offer a certain exclusion or type of eating regimen, and once the diet is ceased, the weight will come right back as soon as people start eating those ‘no-no’ foods again. Don’t diet. Change your eating habits completely, according to Phil Thow.

Start by learning about what’s good for you and what you like. Don’t think that you have to eat a bunch of stuff that you don’t like in order to be healthy. Healthy eating can be enjoyable, tasty, and fun in many different ways. Once you find guidelines about what you should be eating, you can use them to plan your own meals and snacks so that you eat things you enjoy while still being healthy. Healthy doesn’t have to be bland, either. According to Phil Thow, you can make a lot of great exciting dishes and still eat healthy.

Keep in mind that a lot of the problems people have with healthy eating habits is portion control. Learn about portion sizes, and remember that just because there is empty space on your plate doesn’t mean that it needs to be filled. Another tip to help you get over the portion sizes that seem microscopic in comparison to what you used to eat: eat slowly. You might think that you’re not full when you’re done eating, but if you scarf down your dinner in five minutes, your stomach needs time to catch up, says Phil Thow. Chew properly to aid digestion and allow yourself 15-20 minutes to finish your meal.

Researchers say that it takes two weeks to form a habit. Start with day one, eating healthier than you did the previous day. Continue this until you are comfortable eating healthy on a regular basis, and after a couple weeks you will probably enjoy all the new foods and meals that you’re learning to create and eat. Most importantly, Phil Thow points out that you should not deny yourself the things that you enjoy. Limit your intake of Twinkies, even if they are your favorite, but don’t cut them out completely. Forcing yourself not to eat the things you like is going to backfire eventually.