The Best Weight Loss Diet For Lasting Change

Want to lose weight and keep it off? Which diet is the most effective in weight loss? Find out why the best weight loss diet is something only you have the power to create – and how to do it!

As long as I can remember, I have wanted to be something I wasn’t.

Just writing that sentence and saying it to myself in my head is a little depressing.

But it’s true – for as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be skinnier, fitter, more popular, and more successful.

I can’t remember a single day since having children that I haven’t thought about needing to eat better, workout more, dress better, or work harder.  (Five years, people!)

And lately it dawned on me that I have lived many years of my life imprisoned by my own thoughts.

Thoughts of inadequacy that stopped me from having carefree days. Thoughts that have left me depressed, unhappy with myself, and robbed me of fun and happiness many times over.

It’s dumb, really, because before I had kids, I was everything I wish I now wish I could be. But even then, I wasn’t always happy. Even though I didn’t think it, I was fit, healthy, social, and doing well.

But I let the outside voices of peers, magazines, social media, and society in general tell me otherwise.

And I refuse to let the negative “lesser than” thinking rob me of any more happy days.

What Is The Best Weight Loss Diet For 2021? Being Done With Diets

You see, I have been struggling to lose 20-30 pounds for a few years now. I have two kids, and with my first I retained about 25 pounds of baby weight. (It’s actually a rather long story of yo-yoing and depression, read about it here, if not, whatevs.)

I lost just about all of the baby weight from baby #2, but I still can’t seem to shed the original weight gain from the first baby.

But I have been OBSESSED with this since having children.

I have gone from one extreme to the next over and over again. I’ve gone from, “Look at me, I’m a personal trainer!” to, “GIVE ME ALL THE PIZZA,” over and over.

I’ve spent months at a time at the gym religiously to not going at all for weeks. And I’ve tried intermittent fasting, keto, Paleo, Beachbody, and basically everything in between.

But guess what the ONLY consistent thing about my journey has been: thinking negative thoughts about my body EVERY DAY. 

And it’s time to stop. Diet plans can go so wrong, so easily.  

I found myself thinking back to a time where I truly was healthy.

What was I doing?

First I started with questions like, “What was I eating? Was I on a certain diet? What weight loss tips did I follow? How often was I working out?”

I couldn’t really find any specific answers.

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That’s because there are none. When I was healthy and fit, I wasn’t overthinking anything. I was just living my life.

I wasn’t counting calories. I wasn’t measuring my worth in the number of times I’d gone to the gym that week. I wasn’t restricting myself every day. I wasn’t binging on fats and balking at carbs.

The fact is that I wasn’t doing anything extreme.

I guess you could say I was rather balanced.

I was too busy to spend time overeating, but I was also too social to not go out to restaurants.

I wasn’t sitting around at home, but I was also not spending every waking moment at the gym.

I wasn’t counting calories, but I was also making a fair attempt to eat whole foods.

I wasn’t training for a marathon, but I was also spending my free time doing healthy things like hiking.

Balance, I realized, is what’s missing for most of us! 

If you’re looking for the best weight loss diet, stop thinking diet! Think balance.

Think back to a simpler time in your life. One where you were happier and healthier. Were you as obsessive and guilt-ridden as you are now? Probably not.

As I think about this, I wonder, where did I go wrong? With fad diets? With balance in life – with food, with my negative thinking, and so on.

I’m personally able to pinpoint a pivotal point at which I went a little too “all in” with being a mom. (I love to talk about being self-aware on your weight loss journey.) What about you?

You’ve probably tried many of what others might consider the best weight loss diet. Maybe you’ve even had success with some of them that claim to help you lose weight fast.

But even though you’ve tried every quick weight loss diet plan, you’re here now. Likely meaning that whatever changes were made didn’t last. Right?

The Best Weight Loss Diet For Lasting Change

I just got done reading Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook for one of my personal training certification requirements. This was an interesting and eye-opening guide because all of the recommendations that Nancy makes as a dietician are based on the idea of balance!

Even she says that the best weight loss diet is simple. In fact, there are really only two key ideas!

Find balance and be in a calorie deficit if you want to lose weight. 

Nancy argues that an overly restrictive diet – or simply the idea of being on a diet – can be harmful.

Not only is it mentally and emotionally exhausting, it sets you up for failure. This is because those who are on a restrictive diet that involves eliminating entire food items/groups are more likely to overeat or binge often.

Yikes.

I know this true for me.

Three Key Pieces To Effective Weight Loss

As a personal trainer, mom, and someone who has tried everything, here’s my breakdown of what the best weight loss diet truly entails:

1. Balance – between healthy decisions and enjoying life!
2. A small, sustainable calorie deficit – burn more than you consume!
3. Exercise – without overthinking it, simply move more!

Now, I fully understand that if you came here looking for a quick weight loss diet plan, you may not know what’s healthy or where to start with exercise. Though there are a world of resources out there, here are a few places to start:

Information On Healthy Eating & Weight Loss Friendly Foods

• How Do You Know Which Fats Are “Good”?
• What is the Mediterranean Diet? Questions Answered
• 10 Ways to Eliminate Hidden Sugars from Your Diet
• 15 Healthier Food Choices To Make When Grocery Shopping

Workouts & Exercise Information

• Core Exercises For Beginners | 5 Essential Exercises
• 25 Free Workouts to Try Today (No Subscriptions!)
• Bodyweight Booty Workout – 4 Killer Moves You Can Do Anywhere

So, does it seem like you maybe need to do a little soul-searching yourself? I know that many of you came here looking for a quick fix, some magic formula. Some way to lose weight fast. While I think we all know deep-down that there’s no quick fix, the answer to your weight loss woes is simple!

Find a better balance as far as food and exercise! Take it one step at a time to ensure long-lasting change, and enjoy every step of the journey!

-Chantal