Unfortunately, far too many people get into the habit of choosing a diet popular at the moment, or one they’ve heard other people have had great success with, whether friends or celebrities. The one thing you must keep in mind, however, is just because a diet worked for one person (or 10, as the case may be), it does not necessarily mean that it’s going to work for you. Let’s go over the four main signs that you need to watch out for that would indicate the diet you’re on isn’t the best option for you.
1. You’re Constantly Starving
The very first sign is that you’re constantly starving all the time. While some hunger is normal and to be expected on a diet plan, being hungry all the time is a sign that the diet is not for you. This is often the case with those who are using very low carb diets or very high carb diet plans. A balanced diet tends to control hunger the best, as you’re getting a good amount of both carbs and fats, but if you go to the extreme, more problems may occur. Another important point is that very low carb diets can be good at controlling hunger for most people, but this effect does tend to be over the short term. A very low carb diet used for weeks on end will eventually lead to significant hunger as the body is craving more carbohydrates. If you do find that a low carb approach does tend to keep you feeling less hungry, then just be sure to add in periodic high-carb days. If you do that, you’ll feel less hungry and it will keep your body from going into ‘starvation mode’ which slows down your metabolism.
2. You Have Strong Food Cravings
The second sign is if food cravings are out of control. Again, some food cravings during the diet are quite normal but if you can’t focus on anything but certain foods, then it’s time to think more carefully about the type of diet you’re using. You will not likely be able to eat all the foods that you would prefer to be eating as making healthy choices is still going to be a must, but you should have enough flexibility with the diet to still add in plenty of the foods that you do enjoy. If your diet is so restrictive that you can’t, you may want to reconsider your diet approach altogether. It may not be the best one for you. Those who have the greatest success on a diet plan are often able to stick with it over the long haul, so don’t think that short-term deprivation is the way to go. It’s not and will just leave you seeking out comfort in foods you shouldn’t be eating sooner or later.
3. Your Workout Performance Is Declining
If your workout performance is on the significant decline, it might be worth a look into changing your diet program. It’s vital that you are eating enough to fuel your body properly and this is where some people run into problems. They are restricting their calories so much, yet still try to maintain a very high intensity workout program. The more exercise you plan to do, the more you will have to eat to fuel this exercise. Neglecting to cover these needs is extremely unhealthy and will only make it more difficult to lose weight as time goes on.
4. You’re Constantly Cheating
Finally, the last indication is when you become a habitual diet cheater. While there are some who are just bad with sticking to diets, period, for the most part, if you are really struggling with maintaining the diet and you typically don’t, that’s a good indicator something is up. Usually, this is also due to a very intense diet that isn’t providing you with the nutritional support that your body needs. Extreme diets are very hard on the body and this is usually what makes sticking with them next to impossible. So have a good look over your current diet approach or the one that you’re considering and prevent any of these issues from occurring by changing your diet!
