There is No Quick Fix

Learn The Fundamentals and Continually Work On Them

By PEERtrainer Health And Fitness Team
Maybe we should take that back. There are quick fixes, but they rarely last. They do not last because they are usually not rooted in the fundamentals of behavior change and habit change. The only way one can make permanent and healthy changes is to increase low-calorie, nutrient rich foods while decreasing high-calorie, toxic foods. Remember that food can be your friend. There are foods that can be eaten in abundance, and when you start to eat this way there will usually be a broad array of benefits.

In the long run one needs to focus on the fundamentals, but you do never know what sort of interim tool will be helpful or come in handy along the way. It is important to stay open to things. Something like Nutrisystem can be a short term quick fix for someone who needs to quickly get some level of discipline and portion control. Maybe you can't resist experiementing with an Atkins Diet or a South Beach Diet. But longer term and no matter what you do it is critical to develop a diet high in plant-based food. In fact, almost every diet out there advises this.

While it is important to learn about the power of great food actually putting this into practice is the hard part. If you start to eat high volumes of spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, salads, fresh juices, berries each day and you currently experience obesity and health problems- this approach will likely begin to change your life. But the work of doing this is just that. It is work and you have to both be open minded and willing to do the work.

What you are really faced with is a set of discipline and character changes. It took a long time and constant repetition to indoctrinate the bad habits that got you to an unhealthy place, it will take some introspection and work to get you to a place where you're proud of your habits and proud of the way you respond to potential slip-ups. You have to give yourself time to learn and time to heal and most importantly time to change. You have probably heard so many mixed messages about what to eat, how often to eat, debates about meat, debates about dairy. Don't focus on that. Focus on the stuff that makes sense to you. Focus on things you can add to your diet instead. That fruits and vegetables are good for you is one of those things that nobody debates. And remember that a balanced diet may be good for someone who is "in balance", if you are overweight and/or unhealthy it is going to take some radical shifts to bring you back into balance. If you are hungry all the time, there are foods you can eat that will help you feel full AND move you in the right direction. Again, it just takes work.

Now, if things aren't changing as quickly as you like, you have to re-examine your expectations. Are you giving yourself a reasonable amount of time? Who decided what was reasonable and what wasn't? Sometimes things take longer than you'd like and this might be one of those things. Who defined what success is? Who is determining how you feel about yourself? Have some patience and don't quit when things don't go the way you want, after all, that's like your two year old throwing a temper tantrum. If it doesn't go quickly, don't take your bat and ball and go home. Acknowledge that the patience is a part of the process and keep up your good work.

Next: Read The Nutrition Labels On Everything