Dieting vs. Lifestyle Changes
The terms ‘diet’ and a ‘lifestyle changes’ are often used intermittently, although they have different meanings and can deliver very different results. Mixing the two terms together can often leave us feeling confused about what our actual goal is. Read today's blog post to learn the differences between the two so you can decide which is best for you to achieve your own personal fitness goal!
The difference
A diet and a lifestyle change may sound similar but are very different from each other. After all, they convey different meanings and help you to achieve different results.
A diet is when someone deprives themselves of certain foods (or of quantities of food) to loose weight quickly. When someone is on a diet, that person may be tempted to 'cheat' on their diet when tempted by foods that are deemed off limits. A sense of guilt can then set in if the person goes against their diet. While on a diet, many people feel as though they need to resist temptations at all costs in order to reach their objective. Overall, dieting is typically a brief endeavor with deadlines and short-term objectives.
A lifestyle change, on the other hand, is a long term commitment to bettering your health. While a lifestyle change may not bring drastic results (such as weight loss) to fruition as quickly as a restrictive diet can, a lifestyle change is overall better for your health over a long period of time.
Which one is right for you?
Read the bullet points below to identify whether a diet or lifestyle change is right for you and your fitness goals.
Dieting
- Diets allow you to lose weight quickly for a short period of time.
- While on a diet, your eating habits will depend on where you eat.
- Diets restrict foods and classify them as “bad” or “good”.
- Diets restrict your caloric intake significantly.
Lifestyle Change
- A lifestyle change incorporates well-balanced food to nourish the body
- A lifestyle change preaches moderation rather than restriction.
- An important part of a healthy lifestyle is constant and regular exercise.
- A lifestyle change can allow you to lose at least or about 1-2 pounds per week.
Fast vs. long term results
While a diet brings fast results (such as weight loss), a lifestyle change promotes healthy habits for an extended period of time. Remember, if you want permanent and retainable results, you must allow your body time to adjust while fueling it with the necessary nutrients to function properly.
Be kind to your body so that your body responds with kindness, and remember never to let your body endure extreme hunger.
