Four Small Diet Changes with a Big Impact

Are you at your wit’s end with diets that haven't produced results worth talking about? You might find one that lets you lose a couple of pounds, but then they come right back. So where has that gotten you? Unfortunately, right back where you started!

The bad news is diets do not work. 95% of all diets end in failure because they are not meant to be done long-term. A diet has a start date and an end date like 6 weeks, 12 weeks, etc.

When the diet is “over”, what happens? You eventually go back to your old way of eating. Does this mean that you are stuck with those extra pounds?

No. The good news is you can very easily make some changes that will let you get off that diet roller coaster for good!

Try these four small diet changes that pack a lot of punch:

1. Make H2O your beverage of choice. Even beverages that claim to have zero sugar are often loaded with calories or unhealthy chemicals! Replace those beverages with pure water and you’ll start to notice changes in how you feel and look almost instantly!

· Give your water a kick by squeezing some fresh lime juice into each glass you drink.

· Try not to quit sugared drinks cold turkey or you may end up feeling deprived. Instead, treat yourself to a soda or fruit beverage at the end of each week if you met your daily water consumption targets.

· Drinking a glass of water before meals also helps you to feel full quicker so you don’t eat as much food.

2. Cut down your portions. It's possible to cut portion sizes without leaving the table feeling hungry. Sometimes, the timing makes all the difference:

· A plan that may work well for you is to eat four or five times a day – breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one or two snacks in between. Have small portions so your total daily consumption still falls within your recommended caloric intake.

· When you eat so often, your body never has a chance to get to the ravenous stage where you eat everything in sight, so you're not as tempted to eat large portions.

3. Switch snacks. While it’s important and encouraged to indulge in fun foods, (in moderation) you may want to assess whether the snacks you’re eating are the healthiest options.

· For example, if you like candy bars, try replacing them with protein bars, fruit or fruit salad, yogurt, Jell-O with fruit, frozen fruit bars, and other snacks with less sugar and fat. Fruit is nature's candy - you’ll still get to satisfy your craving for sweets but in a healthier way.

· If you prefer crunchy snacks like chips, opt for crunchy raw veggies or nuts.

· One trick that works great is to prepare snacks ahead of time so they're ready whenever you're hungry for a quick snack. Cut up celery, carrots, and broccoli into easy "grab and eat" portions. Cut up several kinds of fruits, make tasty fruit salads with melons, grapes, berries, and more, and store them in portion-sized sealed containers.

4. Skip the sides. Sides like potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and stuffing could be your downfall. While you are encouraged to indulge a little, remember that these have the highest caloric values. Eat only small amounts of these sides while you fill up on the meats, vegetables, and fruits for dessert.

If you adopt these simple diet changes, it will just be a matter of time before you see remarkable changes in your weight loss efforts, without much effort! Your body will respond automatically because you’ll be treating it to the things it loves – healthy alternatives!

So instead of jumping from one fad diet to the other in search of the best fitness and weight loss results, try making some simple changes to how and what you eat.

Ditch the diets today, and just make simple changes that you can live with. No need for restricting your calories to the point where you are miserable or doing excessive cardio.

Not only will you look better and get the results you’re looking for, but you’ll also feel better throughout the course of each day. Give it a try and see for yourself!

If you want to learn more about how to ditch the diets today, I wrote a guide that shows you how to do just that and still lose weight. You can get your free guide here on the home page of my website.