14 DAY TRIAL // Sticking to a diet in order to lose weight is difficult – and, from what health experts have been saying since ever, unhealthy too. Instead of going on a diet in order to lose a few pounds fast and then fall back into the same eating patterns as before and gain the weight back, we should think about making a new diet a lifestyle choice. Shape magazine is here to help us with options depending on our personality.
According to a piece in the latest issue, eating healthily is a much easier option if we take into consideration our lifestyle and personality when coming up with a new eating plan. Shape, for instance, divides women in three: the “purist,” who wants to cook her own meals all from scratch and who wouldn’t be caught dead at a McDonald's, the “diet rebel,” who would not diet if it cost her her life, and the “take out queen,” who lives mostly off take out food. For each of them, Shape proposes a few interesting and delicious recipes.
Though the purpose of this is to promote a lifestyle change, keeping in mind that the beach season is approaching fast might also help ease the transition to healthy eating. “Beach season is still months away, which means it’s the perfect time to start fine-tuning your diet. But as experience will tell you, weight-loss success depends on finding a plan you can live with – one that suits your personality and lifestyle. For example, if your job involves racking up frequent-flyer miles, then asking you to whip up every meal from scratch may be a recipe for disaster,” Shape says.
“So, rather than come up with a one-size-fits-all plan, we created mix-and-match meals that take your preferences into consideration and address your biggest obstacles, from controlling portions to curbing cravings. You can also choose one or more snacks totaling up to 260 calories. On days when you’re really cranking up the burn (say, by combining the strength and cardio plans) and you feel you need a little more fuel, you can tack on an extra 100- to 200-calorie snack. The only rule is that you have to stay within 1,600 calories, which should allow you to shed about 1 pound every five days. Start eating the foods you love today and you’ll be striding around like a swimsuit model long before you take your first dip in the ocean,” the fitness-oriented publication further adds.
As also noted above, the mag then offers tips and concrete recipes for each of the three types of women, as classified by personality. To see more on this, please refer here.