HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT WAS THE BEST DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT? 

To give you a little background about me, I have a Bachelors in Exercise Science and Masters in Exercise Physiology.  Basically, I have a passion for holistic wellness.

Over the years I have been asked numerous times which diet is the best one to lose weight.  Today I am going to let you in on the secret! The best diet to lose weight is the one that you can have fun with and sustain! Yes, you read that correctly. With a new diet fad popping up every year it has gotten to be so difficult to decide between keto, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, and the list goes on! The truth of the matter is there is no BEST way to do it.  In college, we evaluated a study (Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates) that showed different diet therapies over the course of two years.  The research showed that NO diet was better than the other one at helping participants to lose weight. The biggest difference was that those who limited carbs lost is quicker but that wasn’t a sustainable way to keep it off.

Now, there are some things that will help you to determine a diet therapy for your goals…

-DO NOT CHOOSE A DIET BECAUSE YOU WANT A QUICK WEIGHT LOSS

I’ve noticed that people who lose weight quickly tend to gain MORE weight back faster.  You have to choose something that you will make a part of your lifestyle.  Do not choose a quick fix diet.  It doesn’t sustain long!

-ASK YOURSELF WHAT DO YOU ENJOY EATING?

There are people who genuinely don’t like the taste of meat.  So, it will be FAR EASIER for THEM to become vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian.  If you love meat, don’t force yourself on a diet that restricts it completely. Instead, consider eating it 2-3 times during your week. I love carbs so it wouldn’t be smart for me to choose a keto diet. Instead, I focus on eating fewer carbs and leafier green veggies.

-TAKE AN INVENTORY OF WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW 

Over the course of 7 days, write down what you are eating.  Please don’t “try” to eat healthy because you are starting to track it now.  Be honest about your daily eating habits.  By tracking your food, you can take a step back to see what you can take away or add to your diet.  If you don’t want to track the next 7 days, do a recall of the PAST 3 days (today, yesterday, and the day before that).  You can’t lie or adjust those past three days!! That will give you a truer representation of how you are eating. 

-SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS

 If you need help walking your way into a healthier diet that sustainable get it!  PURPLE CARROT has been a part of my life since last year and it is a plant-based food subscription service.  It is literally life-changing, fun, and makes my plant-based diet ENJOYABLE!! It comes with the recipe on a card, all of the ingredients, and it doesn’t make you miss the meat. ⇐ Yes, you read that correctly! 

IF YOU WANT TO TRY IT, USE CODE JENA TO GET $30 OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER.

The best thing you can do for your diet is to become more plant-based.  Yes, you can still eat meat.  No, you don’t have to force yourself to be vegan.  However, once you start adding more fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices then you will start seeing the results.  Plus, you will start FEELING better.  It is time to start taking care of our bodies and sustaining our lives.  We don’t have to grow old AND get sick.  I want us to be 75 and FINE!! Don’t worry about losing weight quickly. Take it slow and adjust to a healthy lifestyle.

If you need more help and guidance, I have some wellness programs that you can check out.  I do incorporate wellness and faith together because it is extremely important to me.  If you’re interested, check out my free online member community You can get access to fitness, nutrition, and faith challenges.

“You don’t have to get older and sicker.  You can age gracefully and healthily.”