Over the years I’ve written a few articles and blogs pertaining to the side effects of severe dieting. You see I myself use to believe in order to have to lose weight and/or build muscle that I would have to suffer and starve in order to obtain the physique of my dreams. As an experienced dieter I’ve pretty much tried almost every single diet trend that’s become popular over the past two decades. From low carbs to no carbs, from South Beach to Atkins, to even the standard Bro Science diet that’s primarily made up of chicken, oatmeal, chicken, yams, chicken, rice and more chicken. Now while I cannot give you a blanket statement for the results that I have achieved while following each one of these particular diet plans, I can tell you this – They don’t work! (so I guess I actually can give you a blanket statement then).

Most of us have or at least know of someone who’s followed a diet at some point of their lives and has achieved some fairly decent results. I have a few clients that have done ketosis in the past and credit the diet alone for being the reason why they were able to lose all the weight. I also know of a few gym members who swear by intermediate fasting for periods of time to help reduce their waistlines. The IIFYM / “If It Fits Your Macros” Diet has become extremely popular over the past 5 years within the fitness community due to the flexibility it offers with regards to food choices both good and bad. Now even though technically these types of diets have produced results I wouldn’t call them effective in the long term. In fact, from an physiological standpoint I would be willing to wager that the majority of these diet plans cause more harm then good when it comes to our bodies’ internal health.

So why am I hating on these diets? I mean if they are working and people are achieving results shouldn’t I be promoting them? Well even though I do work in an industry that’s overly saturated with false hopes and empty promises from major supplement companies, corporate gyms and even some trainers alike, I refuse to promote anything that I do not believe in.

So what makes a diet plan effective in my opinion?

Well for one, Get Rid of the Word “diet”. I work with numerous clients both online and in person on their so-called diets and each one of them can testify that I NEVER use the word “diet” or “dieting” in any of my nutritional programs. In fact the majority of people with whom I work with cannot believe the amount of food that is implemented into their plans to begin with.

Second, Be Consistent. I won’t even start designing a new client’s nutritional plan until I see a 3-Day Food Journal of what they are eating and when they are eating it. This journal allows me to view the types of foods that the person enjoys as well as the times of the day that he or she consumes each meal/snack which in turn allows me to monitor their eating habits and patterns. Try and learn as to why you crave certain foods and find out why you are craving them at specific times of the day. You need to be proactive and dissect your diet from top to bottom if you really want to understand how to make it work efficiently for you.

Third, Don’t be a Sheep. Quite simply generic diet plans DO NOT WORK in the long term. If a nutritional plan does not appear to be sustainable then it won’t be. Once a person comes off or ends a diet that is usually low in calories or some other vital macronutrient (and yes, I believe that ALL macronutrients are essential to good health) then they usually rebound hard and add back all the weight (and sometimes more) due to the result of a poor functioning thyroid and/or a slowed down metabolism.

So how should a person construct or design their diet if he or she wishes to lose body fat and become overall more healthy and fit?

One Man’s Opinion:

1) Learn YOUR Body – How does your body respond to different foods? Are you carb sensitive? Do you function better on higher healthier fats? And don’t forget to pay close attention to your digestive system. No, it’s not normal to feel bloated and/or constipated for the majority of the day. Nor, is it normal to have to rely on caffeine and other stimulants just to be able to function properly.

2) Understand YOUR Lifestyle – A person who spends the majority of their work day behind a desk is not going to require nearly the amount of calories as someone who is working on their feet and is physically active for the better part of their day. Likewise an athlete who practices and plays their sport on a daily basis is going to require a surplus of carbohydrates and proteins as opposed to the average gym goer who trains with weights 3-4 times per week. Adjust your calories and macronutrients accordingly not just to appease your waistline but to also appease you daily activities.

3) Be Open to Change – Our bodies change as we get older so it only make sense to change our nutritional plans as well. Just because a certain diet worked for you 10 years ago does not mean it will work for you today. Another thing that is quite common as we get older is that we become allergic or sensitive to certain foods that we use to be able to eat all the time with no problem (with dairy being the most common one). Keep this in mind when constructing your own programs (both for nutrition as well as for training). Nobody likes change, especially the body, because when it’s forced to do something new, it’s forced to change which will ultimately produce results.

I don’t claim to be a know-it-all nor do I claim to have all the answers. My thoughts and opinions that I’ve shared with you above have been gathered through my own experiences with dieting as well as the experience I’ve had with others while assisting them with their own diet plans. There are numerous factors that need to be taken into consideration when designing a customized nutrition plan that cannot be covered in a generic online program or diet plan found in a health magazine that’s catered to the masses.

Be true to yourself and be kind to your body. Do not add unnecessary stress or create health problems down the road just to look good in a bikini or to fit into a pair of tight skinny jeans. Remember, when we’re gone our ripped midsections and glorious glutes will eventually be turned into dust. People will not remember you for your bulging biceps or perfect ass however they will remember you for the person who you are. So decide who that person is and take care of yourself.

Do not give into the temptation of short term gratification at the risk of losing long term satisfaction.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove