Are you thinking about embarking on any diet changes? Have you already set out a plan to achieve your diet change? Perhaps you’re not even sure why you should change your diet. These are all stages of a diet change!
Let’s start with an example. I have a client who wants to lose weight. She knows she’s been eating food that’s not aligned with this goal. And ever so often, she comes to me, stating that she will start a new diet next week. We are yet to reach that ‘next week’ even after months of saying she wants to change her diet. What stage of diet change is this?
While you might wonder why she’s holding back on changing her diet, I understand her. She’s not ready. She’s not motivated enough because her why is not strong enough. When it finally is, her resolve to work through the challenges with diet changes will be pretty strong. And I am willing to wait for that day, and so is she. So, no matter what stage of your diet change, you are on your way there. I am rooting for you!
That said, let’s cover the typical stages of diet changes.
Stage 1: The Contemplation Stage: Thinking About Diet Changes
This diet change stage is when you are thinking about changing your diet – just thinking about it. In my article about why people change their diets, I discuss the good and bad reasons behind this motivation. Maybe you want to lose weight because you have mobility issues. Or you want to gain some weight because you are underweight. These are good reasons. If you want to check out some bad reasons to change your diet, please look at this article.
At the contemplation stage, you will resonate with the following cues:
- You feel that it’s time to change your diet because of one reason or the other.
As I said, this could be a good or bad reason. So, I am crossing my fingers that your diet change stems from a positive perspective. If you want to learn more about this, reach me via dee@deemanded.com.
2. You are not ready to embark on the diet change just yet.
Despite the urge to embrace a new diet, you have some inhibitions about it. Maybe the thought of not ordering junk food may be holding you back. Or you have become comfortable with your health or fitness challenges. I came across an influencer who said she identified so much with being plus-size that she feared losing followers if she ever lost weight. And that is why she’s not ready to lose weight because it will impact her following! Is there any reason you think you should not start your weight loss journey yet? Maybe you are waiting for January so you can lose weight when the year begins, and you can add this to your resolutions. Or you’re waiting until your baby is a year old so you can start walking around the neighborhood. What’s your reason?
3. You are afraid of the challenges you will encounter:
I will not lie and say that skipping cookies for salad is easy. And that’s only one of the challenges you will face when you embrace your diet changes. But to achieve your why, you must find a way to get through the how. What does this mean? Suppose you want to lose 10 kilograms in the next three months. That’s achievable. Your why can be that you want to address your mobility issues. And your how can be that you will eat healthier foods and work out 30 minutes three times a week. Even when you do not want to work out or eat right, you will do it because your why is internal and reasonable. That’s why you should start with a strong why that will align with your how.
Stage 2: The Preparation Stage: Planning Your Diet Changes
I mentioned that your why determines whether you move past the contemplation stage. And your how determines how well you succeed in your diet change. Think of your planning as a strategy. It’s how you get from where you are to where you want to be. Let’s take Lucy as an example. She wants to lose weight and get fitter in the next 6 months and hopes to cut 5 kilograms. To do this, she’s mostly eating healthy macros and leaving 10% for junk food. See? That’s a good plan.
How can you tell you are in the preparation stage?
- You have resolved that you will change and have decided how you will do it:
Thinking about change is just one part of the equation. But do you have a roadmap as to how you will do so? At this stage, you should have your goals and milestones set and can articulate how you will change to the letter.
- You have set a timeline
Not only should you know what you will eat but also how you will sustain this in the long run. Sustainable healthy eating means that you are not starving yourself and have devised a plan you can stick to for a long time.
Your plan must be healthy and sustainable even in the years to come. Sometimes, the plan can be short (e.g., to fix metabolism, deal with a weight loss plateau, or take a break from dieting). But if it’s long-term, you must ensure you can keep up with it for that while.
Stage 3: The Execution Stage: Implementing Your Diet Changes
Guess what? Having a why and a how is not enough. Instead, you must hold your feet to the fire by following your plan. You can tell that you are at this stage if:
- You have changed how you eat aligned with your nutrition goals:
E.g., if the plan was to bulk up, you have added more protein to your meals. The changes can be gradual or moderate. Going cold turkey is only advised for short-term goals, which must also be healthy.
- You have gotten accustomed to your new diet:
You are actively sticking to your diet and can see the changes. For example, if you often relied on sweets to make it through the afternoon, you are now reaching for whole fruit.
You will encounter many challenges at this stage that may hamper your progress. That’s normal. Please don’t feel guilty about it. Instead, push through the challenges and know that falling or slipping does not amount to failure. You can get back up and meet your goals.
Think of diet changes as a marathon and not a sprint.
Stage 4: The Normalcy Stage: Getting Accustomed to Changing Your Diet
It takes about three months for humans to form a habit. And if you stick to your nutrition plan this long, you will soon start identifying with the following:
- You no longer feel like you’re working hard to meet your goals
It no longer feels like hard work to make healthy food choices. They have become part of you, and it feels like second nature. Better yet, you have found new ways to rectify your routine without breaking the plan.
- You embrace the challenges along the way
When you binge eat, fall off track, or do things that would have made you feel guilty, you quickly forgive yourself and get back on track. These small things no longer faze you.
Is it easy to get to this stage? Yes! But you must have a sustainable diet. How?
- Factor in 80% to 90% of healthy calories (What are calories, and how do you measure them?), and
- Add 10% to 20% of empty calories (What are empty calories?).
The percentages mainly depend on your nutritional goals, so feel free to tweak them as you please. But you get the idea.
Are You Ready for the Diet Change Stages? I have two options for you:
The Custom Meal Plan: If you want a customized meal plan based on your current TDEE and tailored to meet your health and fitness goals, book a consultation with me via dee@deemanded.com or drop a contact form. This plan features support at all diet change stages.
The 28-Day Metabolism Challenge
Do you want to fast-track your metabolism, lose weight, and be on a slight to moderate calorie deficit? Check out this guide. (Not for people who want to go on a surplus). This plan also features support at all diet change stages.
Also, I am on Instagram and constantly checking my DMs. You can always find and interact with me here.