People change their diets for different reasons. Sometimes, it’s because they want to lose weight. At other times, they want to gain weight, sleep better, or build a better relationship with food. Whatever the case, changing what you have been eating to embrace a new nutrition lifestyle cannot be easy. After all, you have grown accustomed to one thing, forming a habit. So, when you try to veer off your norm and start a new trend, your body will fight you. Let’s cover some of the most common setbacks you will encounter when trying diet changes and what you can do about it!
Did you know? It takes about 3 months to form a habit. So, if you want your diet changes to stick like glue, don’t give up until you’ve hit that 90-day mark!
Challenges with Diet Changes
Whether you are in the contemplation, planning, implementation, or normalcy stage of diet changes, you will face some issues. What are they?
You will spend more money on food.
The first thing you might notice when you start eating cleaner is that your shopping list might be a bit pricier than in the past. Think about it. What would be easier to buy if you had $1, a pack of chips or veggies? Healthy foods tend to cost more, especially when you reach for organic foods.
What’s the solution?
There are a few simple ways to reduce your costs even when eating clean. These include:
- Buying your food in bulk: Instead of buying your fruits, veggies, or main meals each day or each week, how about doing so two weeks or a month in advance? You can enjoy bulk discounts, get more food, and lower your costs significantly.
- Choosing canned goods: Many people think that fresh foods are better than canned foods. But is this so? Not quite. The freezing processes are so meticulous that the foods retain their nutritional components. So, you can still enjoy nutritious veggies and fruits even when canned. However, be careful with the added salts and sugars, and rinse some foods with high levels of these added sugars and fats.
- Not hitting the gym: How much does it cost to join a gym? Maybe it’s $50 or $100 where you live. But guess what? You can avoid this cost and still get lean. How? – You can walk more, take more stairs, enjoy home workout videos, etc. Moving your body is great when losing weight, but it should not have to cost you an arm and a leg.
See? With these few changes, your diet changes can be much more cost-effective.
You will spend more time on food.
Is this a valid concern? Yes! You will likely spend hours preparing fresh and healthy meals. So, how can you have your cake and eat it? How can you embrace sustainable diet changes that do not take over your entire being?
What’s the solution?
There’s an easy way to do this:
- Shop in bulk: Instead of thinking about what you will eat daily, devise a meal plan and shop for enough items to craft these foods. If you can do this once each week or twice a month, that would save you a lot of time.
- Meal prep: Have you tried meal prepping? It’s much easier than preparing fresh meals each day. Start with a meal plan and figure out what you will eat daily. Then choose a day when you have adequate time to prepare and store the food. Freeze some items and leave others in the fridge so you can easily grab what you eat and defrost it in time for lunch or dinner!
And when it comes to working out, try to get some activity in whenever you can – cleaning the house, walking to the café instead of taking a cab, etc.
You might feel isolated.
If you embark on a health journey alone, you might feel alienated from the people around you. After all, you will turn down junk food left, right, and center. You might also be unable to participate in some of the activities your friends and family enjoy. Over time, this can feel a bit limiting, and you might be tempted to cut back on your diet changes to avoid being left out.
What’s the Solution?
Instead of ditching your diet changes, you can:
- Get more people to join you on your health and fitness journey: You can ask your friends and family to join you by laying down the benefits of such a move. If they are not willing to do so yet, you can ask them to support you on your journey, e.g., by bringing you healthy snacks.
- Have an accountability partner: Get someone to help you toe the line by checking in on you and your milestones. My meal plans come with support and weekly check-ins so you can stay on track, knowing someone has your back.
Find someone who believes in your journey and can help you make it through even when it feels hard to keep going.
You Do Not Enjoy Healthy Foods.
If you look at some healthy recipes online, it’s easy to feel like eating clean is too much work. How are you supposed to enjoy salads and salads and more salads? Well, eating clean does not have to be mundane.
What’s the Solution?
There are tons of clean recipes that do not feel like torture. You can try:
- Remaking your favorite recipes: E.g., if you like pancakes, you can try making them with healthier alternatives. Instead of cutting out the butter, you can reduce its amount and pour in some natural yogurt. These small changes can help you eat more of the foods you like while maintaining your target calories. I remake many of the foods I like using healthy options, and you can take a look at some of my recipes here.
- Researching recipes: Very many people cook on YouTube and other platforms. Find someone who makes healthy food, try some of their recipes, and see how that works out.
Food should not be boring just because it’s clean. So, find what works for you while keeping your TDEE in check.
Are Diet Changes Linear?
Your diet changes are not straightforward and will instead fall into 4 categories:
- Contemplation,
- Planning,
- Execution, and
- Normalcy.
You can learn more about the stages of diet changes here. The key to maneuvering these stages is having a clear goal. Figure out why you want to change your diet, which will help you keep going. For example, if you want to sleep better, that’s a valid reason and one that will motivate you even when the going seems tough. But if your reason is seasonal and not ingrained in your being, you might have difficulty with the changes.
Are You Ready to Beat the Diet Change Challenges? 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.