Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Don’t start a diet that has an expiry date! Focus on a lifestyle that would last forever!

 Most people want to be in shape and look great at any expense. They aim for fast weight loss regardless of the consequences. not taking into consideration the negative side effects that this might lead to. 

Fad diets are being followed by people all over the world. These can lead to fast weight loss that is unfortunately regained with some extra kilograms to the original weight in most cases. This is when they follow another fad diet and go through the same cycle over and over again. That’s what we call YOYO dieting. This is not only annoying but also has some serious negative consequences adversely affecting the body’s ability to burn calories and therefore making losing weight even more difficult.

Being comfortable in one’s body is crucially important. It has a significant effect on the person’s physical and emotional well being. However, it is more important to take care of this body so it can support us later on in life. People should stop focusing on following diets with an expiry date that last for days or months. They must adopt a lifestyle that gives beneficial long lasting results.

Food is one of the pleasures of life and most of our occasions and social events are centered around food. This puts us under a lot of temptations and making it much more difficult to stay on track. This is why we should focus more on a lifestyle rather than just a diet.  According to Dean Anderson (specialist in behavioral psychology), diets are about numbers while lifestyle is about everything; it tells a lot about you and how you feel about yourself.

Diets alone do not work. You have to focus on the overall lifestyle

The main difference between the diet mentality and the lifestyle mentality is only a perspective. Changing our perspective may not make the veggies taste like chocolate, but it will make a big difference when it comes to achieving your goals to have the body that you have always dreamed of having and maintain it for the rest of your life avoiding all the suffering involved in diets.

So instead of following unhealthy diets, gradually start making some changes in your lifestyle. This might take a little more time, but it will surely help you achieve and maintain the weight and body that you have always wanted, without forgetting all the benefits that you will get along.

The following are some lifestyle changes you can make and the benefits you will achieve after following them:

1. Quit smoking: This doesn’t only reduce the risk of dangerous and deadly diseases; it also gives you a healthier hair and skin. It will also make you less vulnerable to premature ageing. In other words, smokers age faster.

2. Losing the extra weight: This will reduce the risk of developing obesity related diseases and joint problems and eventually it will reduce the risk of having joint replacement surgeries.

3. Physical activity and exercise: Increasing your daily PA and exercise improves your looks, posture, memory, mood and will improve your sleeping pattern. It is also beneficial for the heart and bones.

4. Drinking water: Staying hydrated is essential for a good health. Even a mild dehydration can affect the brain so you can have headaches and confusion, increased blood sugar level and muscle weakness, in addition to drowsiness and fatigue. All of the body functions require water to work properly.

5. Sleep: Good sleeping habits are also very important. Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to altered moods and confusion. It is also linked to depression and weight gain. Most adults require 7-8 hours of sleep every night. It’s also important to mention that every hour of sleep before midnight equals 3 hours of sleep after midnight.

6. Stress management: Stress management has to be a priority. Stress can affect your well-being and your whole life. It affects your efficiency at work, and may prevent weight loss since stress increases the levels of cortisol in the body. Meditation, prayer and exercise are great ways that can help you in managing stress

Finally, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) , a healthy diet and a good lifestyle are the best weapon to combat heart and cardiovascular diseases. Following a healthy lifestyle is the most important choice you can make. A study done in 2003 showed that unhealthy habits and lifestyles like smoking and consuming junk food increases the risks of developing diseases and premature death. Also, a smoker and sedentary man is more prone to develop diseases than an active non-smoker. Moreover, a healthy lifestyle delays ageing and improves the quality of life at older ages. At the end, every one of us will grow old, but the quality of life at older ages largely depends on the lifestyle that you have followed all your life.  So it’s all is your hands!! Make the choice!!!