We get too obsessed with calorie counting. A calorie is one unit of energy so actually calories are a good thing because it is where our energy supply comes from. Theoretically the more calories you put in the more available energy you have so if you have low energy then the problem lies in your ability to transfer calories into energy and not necessarily how many you put in:
Obviously high intakes with low activity is going to pile on the pounds but a healthy metabolism will produce high levels of energy and a balanced weight with from a healthy, sustainable intake of food.
Top 5 diet tips
We eat an imbalanced diet. Western diets are generally imbalanced, too heavy on refined carbohydrates, fats and too low on essential nutrients such as omega 3, minerals and vitamins.
Follow a healthy eating plan that is designed for good health not just weight loss. Eating a healthy diet fills you with energy and makes you feel good and if your body is happy it will shift the weight as well.
Just cutting down your food intake means your diet is not only imbalanced it is even more deficient of all the essential nutrients leading to constant food cravings. An imbalance can also increase of developing other weight gaining health problems such as insulin resistance and food intolerance.
If you hate eating lettuce all day and slogging yourself on the treadmill then you might as well give up now. Eating healthily and taking activity needn't be boring it can be tasty and fun. If the rewards are equally as good you will find you prefer the healthy option and willing chose to it over the unhealthy ones.
We take the all or nothing approach. As soon as we go on a diet we expect great changes in our weight without making any changes to our lifestyle. Starting a diet with an unrealistic and over optimistic attitude is setting yourself up for failure. You do need to plan and address before you start what your limitations and difficulties are and where you can and can't make changes.
You also need to research alternative foods, recipes and how this will all fit into your household. Finally you need to focus on the pleasurable aspects, yes there are plenty, to make this something you will sustain rather than a famine and feast way of living.
Generally we eat badly because of other aspects in our lifestyle such as stress and lack of satisfaction. The happier, more confident and relaxed you are the easier it will be for you to eat healthily so for real success don't just improve your diet, improve your life!
We forget about our individuality. Diets are designed to work for the general population but we all have our own little differences which sometimes mean that general rules don't always apply.
To reach and maintain a happy weight you need to combine a general healthy diet with your own personal response to food, avoiding any you dislike or have a negative effect on your health.
Your digestive system is involved in the health of the whole body, processing nutrients, disposing of toxic waste and keeping out harmful invaders A happy gut makes a healthy body.
We don't look at the cause. Body image problems are more likely as symptom of a negative lifestyle aspect such as stress, low confidence or unhappiness rather than the reason for it. If dieting was just a case of cutting down on our eating it would be easy so there must be physical, biological or emotional reasons why we find this so hard to do. Find and address those and the weight will sort itself out.
General rules apply generally, you are unique so if you have tried every diet going and are still frustrated about your weight, now is the time to find a health and eating plan that suits you personally.