You Don't Have To Be Perfect...

Many people will have made New years resolutions that will involve them losing, weight, get fitter and be healthier. In a poll conducted by Bupa/ComRes 63% admitted having broken their resolutions within a month. One of the biggest mistakes I see when people are dieting is that they are trying to be too perfect. They start off their resolution with an over restrictive diet or meal plan that is hard to stick to.

Something I have witnessed many a time is people thinking they have blown their diet plan because they have slightly deviated from it or had something that they consider “bad foods”.

However, in the big scheme of things if you are sorting out your daily habits, getting your diet right, increasing your physical activity or sticking to your exercise regime, the occasional “bad food“, night out, social event or blow out won’t be a big problem in the grand scheme of things for long term success.

It is common for people on a diet plan to stray even a little.

• for example- say a piece of cake and think they have blown their whole diet.

The guilt may kick in, they think they have failed- broken the diet sod it, I have failed might as well eat the whole cake and go back to old eating habits. I have seen it time and time again the cycles of being too restrictive then binging.

But if we look at it another way- say you have been eating well for 6 days-
meals and snack of minimally processed, high protein, plenty of veg and eating in a decent calorie deficit for those 6 days, then you have that bit of cake that is 300 calories just that once. Then get back to your eating plan the next day- how much damage has it really done? The problem will arise if you decide to eat the whole cake.

I have seen people freak out and be scared to go out to eat because foods are not in their meal plan and it effects their social life and sanity because they are on an overly restrictive diet plan, that is not good or a healthy way to live. It is know how to make healthier choices.

Also human nature- the more we are told we can’t have something, the more we want it! Taking the all or nothing approach can be detrimental.
A single deviation from the diet doesn’t mean that you’re a failure or that the diet has failed.

Dieting takes practice- it may take trial and error and what works best for you, your lifestyle and tastes.
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Be patient, be consistent and results come.

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Jamie Miller- Personal Trainer
UK Fitness Personal Training
​Aberdeen

​Fitness, Nutrition & Personal Training