Find a Flexible Diet
By Jo Hill
Live Well
These days it seems every second person is on a diet , or trying a new weight-loss challenge to earn themselves their ‘ dream body .’ These challenges usually last 8 to 12 weeks , but the diets and exercise programmes are all too often impossible to maintain on a long-term basis . Once the challenge has come to an end , and we don ’ t have to live on a diet of egg whites and broccoli , generally speaking , the wheels start to fall off . Getting up at 4am to go to the gym just isn ’ t as appealing when there isn ’ t a deadline , and saying no to the cake brought to work by a colleague is much harder when there is no reason to be on a diet .
Every year a different diet is introduced . People want to follow something , and more often than not , they want it to yield results quickly . Currently , the most popular diets appear to be the ketogenic diet ( banting ), the Paleo diet , The ‘ bro diet ’ ( consisting of grilled chicken and steamed broccoli , with one cheat meal per week ), the vegan diet , IIFYM , and lastly , the flexible diet . The question is whether one diet is better than the other ?
That answer is completely up to you . From my own experience , the only diet that is going to work is one that you can adhere to and maintain on a long-term basis . If following a ketogenic diet , where you can eat butter and full cream milk as opposed to rice and sweet potatoes , is something that appeals to you and that you will be able to do fulltime , then that ’ s exactly what you need to do – and you will see results .
Of course , in order to lose weight , we need to be in a calorie deficit , i . e . consuming fewer calories than we are burning or using on a daily basis . Sounds simple enough , but research analysts , Datamonitor , recently conducted a study that showed that only 1 in 100 people successfully manage to lose weight and keep it off . Furthermore , people need to be educated to make the right food choices . It seems that when tempted to eat food that isn ’ t in their chosen diet plan , many people tend to fail and simply give up . It is for this reason that I feel that a flexible dieting approach is the one that would probably yield the best results .
Counting Calories
I have a sweet tooth . If I am deprived of sweets and treats , I know that I will crave them more and eventually give in , eating an entire slab of chocolate , instead of a few blocks , or a few biscuits . So if I can follow a diet where I am able to eat those things , and not feel guilty doing so , I would be able to reach my goal weight . It does take longer , and it does require time and patience , as well as a whole lot of creativity , but it can be done .
In flexible dieting , there are a few things to note . Food is made up of macronutrients and micronutrients , and our bodies are dependent on both , but the calories come from the macronutrients , which consist of protein , fats and carbs . This is where it gets a bit tricky , though , as they provide different numbers of calories :
• 1 gram of protein equals 4 calories .
• 1 gram of carbs equals 4 calories .
• 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories .
So , if I make myself a protein mugcake that has 28 grams of protein , 8 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fat , it would look a little something like this : ( 28 x 4 ) + ( 8 x 4 ) + ( 3 x 9 ) = 171 calories ... which is probably the equivalent to a small portion of grilled chicken and some steamed broccoli . So , which would you choose ?
It Actually Gets Easier
There are many calorie and macro calculators available online that can help you to work out how many calories / macros you should be eating , or a fitness professional can help you … and once you know how many calories you need to either maintain , lose or gain , you need to track every single thing that you are putting into your mouth . I use the MyFitnessPal app to track my food and to create the nutritional info for the recipes I create . There are , however , many different apps out there for you to choose from .
Once you have a feel for portion sizes and how many calories are in certain things , you won ’ t need to be so meticulous and will be able to estimate the calories and macronutrients in what you are eating . You ’ ll find that this way of eating will get easier over time , and I am certain that you will enjoy the freedom it provides . If , however , another diet plan is what works for you , then that is what you must stick to .
Jo Hill is a Durban-based baking enthusiast with two selfconfessed addictions : Fitness and chocolate . She has made it her mission in life to show the world that it is possible to have the best of both worlds . The popularity of her healthy recipes led to her creating her popular Facebook page and blog called Pull ups and Peanut butter , where she shares her recipes for clean , healthy and diet-friendly treats . More info at www . pullupsandpeanutbutter . co . za
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